A New Light: Coral Year
by piper5381
Summary: Many new things await our little Aishu, who has now taken the Kruger last name. It's been 3 years since Aishu has been adopted, and now, at fourteen years old, she is ready to attend Garderobe, and as Coral Number 2! .Many things await for her, including a new best friend, her very own Shizuru (hee hee hee :P) and a secret about herself that she wasn't even aware of.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Heya! Welcome to the Coral rewrite x3 there will definitely be some changes in here, so I hope you enjoy! Many new things await our little Aishu, who has now taken the Kruger last name. Extended summary: It's been 3 years since Aishu has been adopted, and now, at fourteen years old, she is ready to attend Garderobe, and as Coral Number 2! .Many things await for her, including a new best friend, her very own Shizuru (hee hee hee :P) and a secret about herself that she wasn't even aware of. All she wanted was just a normal life of an Otome at Garderobe, but of course, nothing is ever normal for our Aishu. I hope you all enjoy!

Prologue

The clock in the hallway struck twelve, its monotone gong echoing throughout the mansion. It was at this time a single man entered the dim-lit area, treading across the carpeted floors at a brisk pace. Though his grey-aged hair was disheveled, his eyes blood-shot, and his body in a somewhat unhealthy condition, there was a look of success upon his face.

"It's done…it's done…" he said to no one, holding his cupped hands close to his chest. After months and months of research and testing, he had finally reached his goal, only one obstacle standing in the way of its full completion.

_Knock knock_

Arriving at his destination, he waited eagerly in front of the large oak door, his anticipation and excitement growing as time passed. He only had to wait for a few more moments before hearing what he wanted to.

"Come in."

Now opening the door, he wasted no time in stepping inside and closing it behind him.

"I've done it."

The figure, who had been looking out through a large glass window at the night sky, slowly turned, now facing the other with a mild look of interest.

"My lady."

At first, she said nothing, her dark eyes flickering to his cupped hands, but as they moved upwards to meet his gaze, a smirk, a dark and conniving one at that, grew upon her face.

"Are you sure this time?" she asked, a hint of humor in her voice. "I have heard these words from you in the past only to see failure before my eyes."

"My lady." He said, slightly bowing a few times. Though this girl was only fourteen years of age, her power in this household was great. One wrong word or move and one could easily be disposed of in a heartbeat. "I deeply regret having to waste your time on my past failures, but I can fully assure you this is it."

She merely raised her eyebrow at this.

"Have you tested it?"

"I have." He answered. "Two of the prisoners battled, and the outcome was simply amazing! They are ten times as stronger as the previous ones used. Look here."

He walked over to the desk and held out his hands, placing down a medium sized red gem.

"I see you have changed the color from its once obsidian state."

"Yes. A reaction due to a new chemical added." He replied. "My lady, you must believe me when I say that this has been the most successful test I have ever witnessed. Both slaves fought to the death, their strength and movements, as I said before, much stronger than the old slaves. However, though much stronger, I don't believe they have the power to fully defeat a Meister Otome."

Sitting down, she leaned back in her black, leather chair, eyes still fixed on the gleaming item.

"Perhaps not alone, but if we make enough, we may have the ability to over power and defeat them. How many are ready?"

"Only four. It does take a while to settle and form. Getting enough ingredients needed to make this new chemical will take some time, and then once it is made, it needs time to harden which could take a good month or so. It will take a good while to make some more."

"Time, my friend, is still a necessity for us all right now." She told him. "We can use this extra time to our advantage. The day will come where we will truly need to fight, and on that day, we will need many of these crystals, but until then, a few will do. They will merely serve as a distraction to Garderobe while we continue our search."

"I understand." He nodded. "Do tell me, how _has_ that search been coming?"

"Not well…" she said lowly. "They have all come up empty handed. It's quite annoying actually, but we will continue nonetheless."

With a sigh, she turned away, the back of her chair now facing the man.

"Before you make anymore, I would like to witness a battle myself tomorrow morning. You better be right. Is that understood?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Good. Now leave."

Without a single word, he did so, disappearing back into the hallway and leaving the girl to her solitude.

"I can feel you…"

She reached up her hand and placed it on her shoulder, rubbing it gently.

"You're near…I know it. I will find you, and when I do, your time will come to an end. This time we will not fail. This time, you will be the ones defeated."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It was a beautiful Monday morning, the smell of spring flowing through the air. With the sky clear, the sun was able to share its gentle warmth with the flowers below. Many trees were just beginning to bud, but there were a few cherry blossoms already in early bloom. New life was also in bloom with the animal as well, curious younglings sniffing throughout the grass. It was perfect weather for the last day of Spring break. However, for a certain fourteen-year-old brunette, enjoying what the weather had to offer was the last thing on her list.

"This can go in here…and this…this can go over there…"

Aishu had spent most of her day getting settled into her new dorm, making sure her new school uniforms were cleaned and ironed, and doing anything else she had to in preparation for the next day. After folding the last of her pajamas into her drawer, she flopped back onto her bed and let out a sigh.

"Finally…"

Now finished, she let herself take a breather.

"_Ne…I wonder what my parents are doing…_" she asked herself, letting out a yawn and a stretch. With being busy all day, she hardly got a chance to see them. Though, with the new semester ready to start, they were probably busy, too. She would have to make a point to see them before turning in for the night.

With her parents on her mind, she reached up and touched her ear, rubbing her finger over the new coral gem they had given her the day before. Although offered a chance to apply when she was first adopted, she had waited three years before doing so, wanting to just spend time with her family as much as she could. However, that did not mean she lost interest. She could remember the countless days she would run back to Garderobe when her middle school was out to watch the Otome practice in the fields. She wasn't allowed to observe any of the other classes because she wasn't an official student, but as long as she was out of the way, she could watch them fight. Sometimes, Mai would accompany her to and explain the techniques some of the students used, Aishu eagerly taking in anything she could. Last year, when she had mentioned her interest in applying, Mai became really psyched and wanted to train her, her parents giving all their support as well. However, Aishu didn't want that. If she was going to do this, she wanted to do it on her own. She was very capable of studying and learning what she needed to and didn't want any special help because of who her parents were. Granted, Mai would help once in a while and her parents would give some advice, but other than that, she did it herself. In the end, it paid off with her starting out as Coral number two, that moment being one of the proudest ones in her life.

Letting out another small yawn, her deep brown orbs flicked to the clock that was on the wall, which read 4:00pm.

"I might be able to catch them before the ceremony…" she said quietly. "If I leave now, I-"

Before she had a chance to finish her sentence, she was interrupted by her door being slammed open, causing her to jump at the sound. Looking wide eyed in that direction, she found a pink haired girl standing in the entrance.

"Three minutes and twenty three seconds!"

….

"…What?"

The new comer walked in with her suitcase, shutting the door behind her. Casually, she walked over to the opposite bed and tossed it up on it.

"Three minutes and twenty three seconds. That's how long it took me to run here from the entrance." She replied, facing the brunette with a smile. Fist pumping the air, Aishu could see pure determination suddenly flash in the girl's aqua blue eyes. "Next time, I'll make it in three!"

Walking over now, she stopped inches away from Aishu before extending her hand.

"Coral number one, Hikaru Kokoru!"

Reaching out, she caught Hikaru's hand in a shake.

"C-coral number two, Aishu Kruger."

"Kruger, eh?" she asked, now taking a seat beside the other. "So you're the kid everyone's been talking about."

"Wait…what?" A small blush crept upon her face, a look of confusion accompanying it. "People are talking about me? Why?"

"Why? Well because you're the daughter of the principal and the great Shizuru-Oneesama of course!" she answered, as if it were the most obvious thing.

"Well…I am…" she said back, scratching her head. "But that doesn't really mean anything. I'm no different than any other kid."

"Of course you are!" Hikaru said back. "Do you know how many people think it's amazing that you're _their_ daughter? It's a huge thing! Watch, you'll be popular in no time."

"But…I don't want to be popular…" Aishu said softly, her blush growing bigger. "I just want to be like every other kid."

"You know what? I think I am going to like you." Hikaru told her, throwing a playful punch. "You're not all snobby like just because your parents are famous. "

"Well, to be honest Kokoru-san, I-"

"Hikaru-chan."

"Ne?"

"Hi-ka-ru-chan! We're friends now! No need to be so formal."

"Hikaru…chan…ne…well, my parents may be famous, but I don't exactly look at them that way. I know they are very important people and I understand their duties, but to me, they're just, my parents. They take care of me and love me and just, I love them. Sure, it's exciting to know they're all famous, but even if they weren't, they'd still be the greatest Moms in the world. I really am no different than any other kid. Just a girl with two really great parents."

Hikaru's eyes had lit, and she was about to say something, but before she could, a voice came on over the intercom.

"Attention all students. We will be assembling in the auditorium for the beginning of the year ceremony in ten minutes. Please plan your time accordingly."

"All right!" Hikaru shouted, standing up and shooting her fist into the air. "I've been waiting all day for this! Come on, Ai-chan! Let's try to make it before anyone else!"

Before Aishu could get a word out, Hikaru grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out of the room. The two raced through the hallways, down sets of stairs, and past the kitchens before finally reaching their destination. Opening the door up, they stepped inside.

"Aww man…" Hikaru said, face-palming her forehead. "We weren't fast enough."

"I thought…we were…pretty fast…" Aishu said back. "Sure…we're not the first ones here…but… we were still pretty fast."

"That's the spirit, Ai-chan!" Hikaru replied, patting the girl on the back. "Always looking on the bright side! Come on, let's go get seats in the front!"

So with that, the two walked down a little path and took a seat in the first row. Looking up on the stage, Aishu spotted the familiar staff she had seen over the years. Mrs. Maria, who was wearing her usual black dress, was in a deep conversation with both of her parents and Yukariko-sensai, someone who was to be her instructor this year. Though they were all speaking, it did not stop Shizuru from sneaking a peek Aishu and winking, Aishu happily smiling back.

After a few more minutes, all the students had filed in, Natsuki now standing at the podium to speak.

"Before we begin, I would just like to congratulate all of you for just being here." The principal began, the noise from the audience dying down. "The exams are not an easy thing to go through, but the fact that you all made it her out of the thousands of girls who applied is definitely something to be proud of."

A small round of applause echoed through the room, Natsuki speaking again once it died down.

"As most of you know, I am the principal of this school, Natsuki Kruger. I welcome you all to Garderobe, and hope that you will all work hard to obtain your dream of one day being a Meister Otome. A road to becoming one, however, is not easy. You must work long and hard to become the best Otome you can be for your master and for your country. I wish you all luck. With that said, we will now introduce you to your instructors."

For the next half hour or so, different staff members stood up and introduced themselves, giving a little speech on what they taught and wishing everyone luck as well. Mrs. Maria was the last one to go. After her introduction, she began going over some rules and regulations of the school. Aishu, sneaking a peek at Hikaru, saw the female sitting upright and listening intently, nodding in agreement to everything she heard. She was definitely a determined one.

"Furthermore, there are other students that you must treat with the same respect as you treat your instructors. They will come up and introduce themselves now."

Four students, pearl students in fact, stood up from where they were sitting on stage and lined up next to the older woman. Aishu could hear all of the other girls getting excited.

"These are the top four Pearl students of our school." Mrs. Maria told them. "You will address them as Oneesama and treat them with the utmost respect. Some of you girls will get lucky enough to become their room attendant later on in the year, just remember the responsibility of being one. You must listen and obey every command they give you, and in return, they will help you with your studies as well as spar with you in their free time. "

The woman then backed away, the first pearl replacing her.

"Welcome!" she said with a smile. "I am pearl number four, Aiko Tukiyo."

A loud round of applause came after the introduction, along with some cheers from the students. The same reaction came after each pearl introduced themselves. The next three, from what she remembered, were the top three pearls of the school, also known as the Triage.

"I am Triage number three, Utau Hoshiko"

"I am Triage number two, Rai Murasaki."

Aishu watched in awe as they all gave a small little speech, each seeming so smart and elegant. When Aishu got accepted, she promised herself that she would work really hard to become a great Pearl just like them.

After Rai finished her introduction, she stepped away to let the last Pearl speak.

"Hello everyone. I am Triage number one, Hana Michiko."

When this girl stood up to speak, Aishu, for some unknown reason, found herself entranced by her. She was definitely very pretty, her silver hair tied back in a lose bun, and as she spoke, her deep purple eyes shone with confidence.

"I really hope you all do well this year and wish you the best of luck."

Her voice was just as pretty as her looks, only entrancing the younger female even more. She herself did not realize how much in awe she was until she realized Hana had caught her stare, looking right back.

"I look forward to working with you all this year, and will be keeping an eye out for a future room attendant."

In being caught, Aishu blushed and turned away, hoping nobody realized it.

After they had finished, Natsuki stepped back to the podium.

"Now that the introductions are complete, I will bring this meeting to an end, Classes start at eight in the morning tomorrow, so please get a good night's sleep. You are dismissed."

With that final word, the students stood up and began filing out.

"I'll meet you back at the dorm." Aishu told Hikaru. "I want to see my parents for a few moments."

"Gotcha!" she said back, giving a thumbs up. "See ya there!"

Aishu, remaining in her seat, caught the glance of Shizuru once again, the woman already knowing what the girl wanted. She was happy she would finally be able to see them after a day away.

When everyone else was gone, leaving the three of them alone, the two women left the stage and met up with their daughter below.

"Ara! My little Ai-chan looks so cute in her uniform!"

Aishu couldn't help but blush at this statement, hiding her face a little when Shizuru embraced her in a hug.

'Thanks, Mom…" she muttered.

"You excited?" Natsuki asked.

"Very!" Aishu replied, slipping away to hug the blunette as well. "I can't wait to start!"

Moments like these, in her mind, were precious, especially now that she would no longer be staying in their living quarters. When she got adopted, she was given a room of her own right near theirs at the school, and was where she stayed when school was in session. This would be her first time staying in the dorms. She could have stayed with her parents, but wanted to be treated like every other student. Still, she was going to miss staying with them.

"Ne…I'm happy an all about being in a dorm, but, on the weekends, I can still stay with you guys, right?"

She felt Shizuru sneak up behind her and pull her close.

"Aww, I love how much our Ai-chan loves spending time with us."

Natsuki giggled.

"Of course you can." The blunette replied. "Weekends are free time. You're welcome to stay with us then. Never think you can't come see us during the week though. Always come by when you want. Ok?"

Aishu, all warmed up, snuggled closer into Shizuru's embrace with a smile.

"Thanks." She told them. "I will. Ne…I know it's only six thirty, but I'm really tired. With classes tomorrow, I think I am going to head in early, but I had wanted to see you both first."

"All right, sweetheart." Shizuru told her, giving the girl another little squeeze and a kiss before letting go. Aishu found her way to Natsuki's arms and got some loving from her, too.

"Night." She told them.

"Have a good night, love." Natsuki said back.

And with that, Aishu walked out, finding her way back to her room. With being so tired, she failed to hear the excited whispers as she travelled down the halls. People really were aware of who she was.

When she reached her dorm, she walked in to find Hikaru already passed out in her bed, the open suitcase at the end of it implying she passed out half way through packing. Little snores escaped the pink haired female, leaving Aishu to giggle a bit.

Not wanting to wake her, she left the lights off, quickly changing into her own pajamas before crawling into bed. As she snuggled closer to her blankets, she thought about the days that were to come. She was confident the year was going to be a great one, and she would do her best to become a great Otome, and with that thought in mind, she fell into a peaceful sleep.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Ne…Ai-chan?"

"Hm?"

They had just finished with their hour long morning clean up. Now at breakfast, a very hungry Aishu sat across from Hikaru, who just stared at her with a strange look.

"Um…I'm just a little confused…mayo?"

Aishu, with knife in hand, was happily spreading her favorite condiment onto a piece of toast. Peering up at her friend, she simply cocked her head at the question.

"What's wrong with it?" she asked. "It's really good! You should try it."

"No, I think I'm going to stick with butter." Hikaru replied. "Mayo on toast just seems…unnatural."

It took all of two seconds for Aishu to stick the mayo covered knife near the girl's face.

"Are you doubting the mayo?"

"No! No, I'm not!" she said, holding her hands up in front of her and leaning back. "If you think mayo is good on toast, that's great! I guess I'm just not a big mayo fan in general."

Aishu retracted her knife and placed it on her plate. Hikaru could only make a face as the other took a big bite of the mayo covered food.

"Just wonderful." Aishu said with a smile. "Mayo, my friend, is good on _everything_. It's such a shame you don't like it much. You have no idea what you are missing."

Silent for now, the girl's continued eating until the bell rang. So far, in their first week of school, classes had been wonderful. There was so much to learn and the two took in everything they possibly could. And now today, they would be having their first combat class. They couldn't wait to spar for the first time. After putting their trays away, they headed out of the building and towards the practice fields.

* * *

"Is it ready?"

A figure stayed hidden in the shadows, speaking through a small, green necklace she was wearing.

"Yes." The male voice replied. "We only await your signal."

The woman looked around at the scenery from where she was standing. Launching an attack this early had not been her intention, but her patience was wearing thin. She had already acquired the first object she needed the previous year. Now, she needed to draw out the second one. She doubted she would find it on her first attack, but she had to try. She could not afford to pass up on any open opportunities.

"In fifteen minutes, I will give my mark." She told him. "You will release it then."

"Very well, my lady." He replied, and with that, she turned and walked away.

* * *

"Welcome to your first combat class."

About fifteen girls stood on a grassy field, all staring at themselves in awe at their newly materialized robes.

"Seeing as I do not know much about what skill level you each are at," Yukariko continued. "We will have a series of one on one matches so I may observe you all. This will give me an idea of what we will really need to focus on in future classes. "

Clinging tightly to her staff, Aishu could feel her excitement building as her sensei spoke. After only watching sparring matches in the past, she was ecstatic to be able to take part in one. Granted, she was a little nervous, but in being naturally athletic, she was hoping she wouldn't do too badly.

"Finally! Our first sparring match!" Hikaru said with excitement, placing her hand on the brunette's shoulder. "Let's try our best! We just have to remember to keep our eyes open, our weapons at the ready, and to never turn our backs on the opponent. And even if we do screw up, we can't let it get us down! We just have to keep pushing on for it's the only way we will get better."

She threw her fist into the air.

"We can do this, Ai-chan!"

Aishu giggled at her friend's excitement.

"Yes, Hikaru-chan, we can!"

"Sorry I'm late, Yukariko-sensei! I had to run a quick errand for the principal!"

Turning at the voice, Aishu nearly dropped her staff when she realized who it belonged to, the sight of the familiar girl with the silver hair causing her heart to jump.

"That's quite all right." Yukariko told her with a smile. "Class, I do believe you have met Triage number one, Hana Michiko, at the ceremony last week. She has offered to join us in class today to help observe and answer any questions you may have."

Aishu, like before, found herself entranced by the girl. There was just something about her that really caught her eye, but she couldn't figure out what. It had to be something….what about her made her chest feel funny so much?

"Let's observe Coral number two, Aishu Kruger, and Hana-Oneesama in their natural habitat as the two look at each other with a spark in their eyes."

"Wh-what?" stuttered Aishu, somewhat snapping back into reality at Hikaru's voice. Natural habitat? The two look at each other?

"The two…" It was then, still in her half daze, did she realize that while staring, Hana, just like at the ceremony, was staring right back, and with a smile on her face.

"Oh jeez!" Aishu quickly turned away, a deep blush on her face, and tried to blend in with the rest of her classmates, pretending it never happened.

"There it is again!" Hikaru teased. "That spark!"

"What spark?" Aishu asked, blushing a little deeper now. "There is no spark!"

"There is, too! It showed up as soon as you started staring at her."

"I wasn't staring!"

"You were! I saw it! You have a crush on her don't you…"

"What? I do not! I've barely even spoken to her!"

"I can see it now…how awesome would that be? Ai-chan and Hana-Oneesama would surely make such a cute couple…."

"Hi-Hikaru!"

"All right!" It was Yukariko's voice that shushed the group. "Now when I call your name, please step into the center. Miki Beniko and Sayuri Ayano."

Aishu watched as two girls walked off of the grassy field and onto the dirt, both looking extremely nervous.

"Remember, this is not a test, merely an observation to see where each of your skill levels are at. Just do your best. Begin!"

For the first few moments of the fight, the two girls walked around each other slowly, but soon enough, Sayuri attacked first. She ran towards Miki, swinging her staff. The other countered, using her own weapon to block the hit, and as the fight went on, these same movements continued. It looked more like sword fighting than anything. Finally, when Yukariko realized nothing much was going to change, she ended the match,

"Thank you, girls." She told them. "You gave it your best shot. For the next fight…"

"I did horrible…" Miki said as they rejoined the group of girls. "I knew I wouldn't be good at fighting."

Aishu, with a warm smile, put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"You gave it the best you could." She told her. "There's nothing horrible in that. Just keep trying and give it all you have, and you'll be a great fighter in no time."

"You really think so?" Miki asked, her eyes lighting up. "Thank you so much, Aishu-chan! I will keep trying!"

"It's no…hey…how do you know my name?"

Though the two were in the same class, they had not yet formally met.

"Everyone knows who you are." Miki replied with a giggle. "Who wouldn't? Everyone is right though. You _are_ as nice as your parents!"

"Uh, thanks…" Aishu replied, her cheeks turning red.

As their conversation finished, so did the second battle, Yukariko thanking them and readying for the next.

"Hikaru Kokoru and Hinata Naoko."

"Good luck!" Aishu whispered, Hikaru flashing her a smile before walking over to the field. Hinata followed suit and the two set their stances for battle.

"Begin!"

Neither of them moved at first, both deep in thought with how they would proceed. After a good minute, Hinata made the first move. Extending her staff, she charged towards Hikaru, who merely dodged to the side, turning in the air as she did so. As she made the full turn around, she swung her staff right into Hinata's back, knocking her to the ground and causing Hinata to lose her weapon. Hikaru wasted no time in grabbing the other's element, dashing away and coming to a sliding stop.

"M-match, set!"

At first, there was nothing but silence. No one had expected a fight like that, but then soon enough, the silence was broken by loud cheers and whistles from the crowd. Hikaru walked over to her opponent, extending her hand. Hinata accepted it with a smile and stood up, the two shaking and congratulating each other for a good match.

"That was amazing!" Aishu told her friend when she rejoined the group. "You ended the fight so quickly!"

"Thank you…"Hikaru replied, blushing a bit.

Once the noise died down, Yukariko called out another set of names.

"Tomo Kasumi and Aishu Kruger."

As soon as her name was called, her stomach started doing back flips. It was time.

"Don't worry." Hikaru told her. "You'll do great!"

Aishu gave a small nod towards her friend at the comfort words before walking off towards the field. Though she wished she could drown them out, nothing stopped the whispers that followed as she made her way.

"_That's her! That's their daughter!"_

_ "I've seen her a few times and she always seems really nice!"_

_ "I wonder if she can fight as good as her parents…"_

Aishu stepped onto the field and shook her head a bit. She needed to stay focused. Shooting a glance over to her opponent, she shot her a friendly smile.

Seeing the two ready, Yukariko was about to start the match when something very unexpected happened.

"What the-"

The ground began to shake beneath them, and a few moments after, the land between Aishu and Tomo broke in two, followed by something climbing out of the hole and into the sky.

"_A slave_" Yukariko thought. "Girls! Get back to the building!" She pressed lightly down onto her earring and spoke.

"Principal! Slave attack in the practice fields!"

Yukariko, already materialized, flew up and began attacking the slave.

Aishu had already turned to run at this point, but stopped when she heard a scream. Turning, she saw Tomo still on the field, her foot caught in a crack; however, Hana was already running towards her to help.

"Aishu, let's go!" she could hear Hikaru calling. Her body was telling her to run, but she remained frozen until Hana got Tomo free, the two of them running towards her now She then shot a glance up at Yukariko, who was still fighting. She seemed to have things under control until the slave swung its tail around, hitting her instructor square in the back as she was sent flying. The slave then turned its attention to Hana, who was still running off the field, and dove in her direction.

What happened next happened so fast the brunette barely gave the idea a chance to process. Without thinking, she ran as fast as she could towards the Pearl, the slave pulling in closer. Diving towards Hana, she knocked her down, throwing herself on top. With the slave only inches away now, she braced herself for impact. However, to her surprise, it never came. At least not directly. Instead, she felt a sharp pain on her lower back and saw a quick flash of white light. Aishu looked up to find themselves surround by a shield of light, disappearing as quick as it came. This was what the slave had hit, and hard too, for it was knocked back quite a distance.

"Ai-Aishu…"

Looking back down, her deep brown orbs locked with the dark violet ones. In that very moment, something strange happened. Something she could not explain. Just from the mere gaze, an exchange took place. An exchange of what, they did not know, but something. For them, the world became silent, the existence of everything else disappearing in those few seconds. If left undisturbed, they probably would have remained that way, but another voice broke their trance.

"Aishu!"

Hikaru's voice found its way to the girl's mind, snapping her out of her daze. Turning her head, she found the slave nearing them again. It was in this instant her body seemed to move on its own. Standing up, she extended her staff. Turning, the point of the element made contact with the enemy, piercing it right through the chest. After half a second, a cry of pain came from the slave before it disappeared, leaving nothing but green specs behind.

"What did I just…"

Aishu dropped the staff and just stared at her hands, shocked at her own work. She had no idea how any of it had happened, but it did.

"Are you girl's all right?"

At this point, Hana was standing, Yukariko now joining them, though she cringed slightly as she landed, the tail to the back having done some damage. Hana nodded at this, but Aishu couldn't answer.

"I saw what happened as I was flying back down…" she told them, placing a hand on Aishu's shoulder. "Are you-"

"Ai-chan! Hana!"

Aishu looked behind her to see both of her parents running up.

"Is everyone all right? What happened?" Natsuki asked.

"We're fine…" Hana answered. "Aishu just…she saved my life."

"Ai-chan?" she heard Shizuru say.

Again, she could not answer. She had no idea what do say. How was she supposed to if she couldn't even make sense of it to herself? How did everything happen? Her staff had no extra power to it, so where did that strength come from, and that shield, she knew Coral's could erect one, but why was hers different? And why did her lower back burn seconds before the shield came?

"_Just….why…_"

* * *

_"Well…that was interesting."_

The woman had witnessed the whole event, surprised by the results. She knew how strong that slave had been, and that no normal Coral student would have been able to defeat it, yet this one did so easily. Not to mention…

"_There was that shield of light…_"

If her assumptions were true, then this girl was far from your typical Coral student.

"_Perhaps this was my lucky day after all…_" she thought, smirking as she walked away. Perhaps her waiting had now finally paid off, and to be sure, she'd have to pay close attention in the future. She knew it was probably too early to make such assumptions, but her gut told her it was true. After watching the fight, she knew phase two would soon enough be complete.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Have they found anything yet?"

Natsuki, who was seated at her office desk, flipped through some case file pictures in front of her, eyes furrowed in thought. Shizuru was beside her, Mrs. Maria and Yukariko with them as well.

"Youko is still running the symbol through the database." Mrs. Maria answered. "If this symbol was ever seen by anyone, it was long before us. She's digging through history to see if it has shown up anywhere, but has yet to find anything. Irina has searched both the library and the forbidden library, but has come up empty handed as well. The only thing they could confirm, however, was the meaning. The symbol, also known as a Hime mark, translates into "dark".

"Dark?" Shizuru asked. "The name doesn't sound very promising…"

"Especially since they seem to show up after each attack…" Yukario replied.

With a sigh, the blunette leaned back in her chair, eyes still deeply furrowed. For the last few weeks now, slaves have been attacking the Windbloom area. After each attack, a Hime mark, the same exact one they were speaking of, would show up not far from where the attack took place. With the first slave at the school, it showed up scorched onto a nearby tree, and more recently, it was scorched right on the street in the center of town. But what did it all mean?

"There's also something different about these slaves." Shizuru mentioned. "Although they are defeatable, they're not that easy to fight. They seem a lot stronger than the ones we have fought in the past."

"I noticed that when one attacked during my class." Yukario told her. "Definitely much more powerful, and their speed has increased as well."

"Which brings up the question on how Aishu defeated it so easily." Natsuki cut in. "We struggle a bit just to defeat them ourselves, yet according to some of the students who witnessed the event, as well as you Yukariko, she defeated it with a single attack. There's also that shield to worry about, too. That's far from the shield normal Coral students use. Have you seen it at all since then?"

"No." the woman replied. "She seems quite normal to be honest. Very talented fighter, but nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps that shield was a fluke of some sort."

"Perhaps…" Natsuki said back, but her disbelief could clearly be seen.

"It probably was." Shizuru said, placing her hand on her wife's shoulder. "If it were anything out of the ordinary, we would have seen more of it by now. I'm sure Aishu would have mentioned something to us, too if there was something wrong."

"True…" the blunette replied, relaxing a bit. Yes, she had been impressed at how easily she had defeated the slave and protected Hana, but worry still haunted the back of the mother's mind. "It may have been a fluke, but I'm not letting it go quite yet."

Shizuru had to smile at this…a worry wart as always. She herself had worried, too, but she trusted her daughter. If anything out of the ordinary was happening to her, they would be the first to know.

With what little information they had, there was nothing left for them to go on, leaving a slightly tired Natsuki a bit too frustrated to continue on.

"All right…we'll just end this for now until we have more to work with. Please keep me informed on any new information that is found."

"We will." Mrs. Maria said back, and with a bow from both herself and Yukariko, the two women turned and left the room.

* * *

"_She's so brave protecting Hana-Oneesama like that!"_

_ "She must be really strong to have defeated a slave all by herself!"_

_ "Well what do you expect? Look at who her parents are…_"

The last thing this girl wanted was attention. She already got enough of it from the students because she was the daughter of Natsuki and Shizuru, And now, with the news of her defeating a slave and saving Hana spreading like a wildfire, the constant whispers and giggles she usually got from her adoring fans grew. She wished, that when it got too much, she could turn them away, but she was too polite to do so, leaving her to deal with the dozens of questions and compliments. Thankfully, if Aishu ever got really stuck, Hikaru would step in and help steer them off, claiming they both had studies to get to and such.

"I will admit it though…" Hikaru told her. "It was pretty amazing. You took down a slave…and as a Coral!"

The two were sitting in the far corner of the library. They had just gotten out of their last class of the day and the weekend was just beginning. As usual, she was heading to her parents that night, but tomorrow afternoon, her and Hikaru planned some combat exercises, hence why they were trying to get some homework done now.

"I'm just as shocked as you." Aishu replied. "As I said, I have no idea how it all happened. It just…did."

"Well…maybe we can find out a little bit more on _how _it happened if I can somehow find out more about the…you know…"

Aishu nodded.

"Yeah…"

There was a whole other part to Aishu's side of the story that was left untold to everyone, herself and Hikaru the only ones aware. They didn't know if it meant anything, which was why they were keeping it a secret, but until then…

"You know…Hana-Oneesama's been looking for you, too, since then."

Hikaru had a sly grin on her face as she spoke these words, leaving the brunette to blush a bit.

"Y-yeah…a-and?"

"Don't you want to see her, too? I know you have a crush on her…"

"I do not!"

Aishu's blush deepened within seconds. Though she denied it, she really had wanted to see Hana, but if she ever found the girl nearby, she'd get too nervous to say anything and hide. She couldn't explain why, but she just did. All she would have to do is look at the girl and her heart would stop, her chest would burst, and her tummy would become inhabited by butterflies. And then somewhere during that whole process, she would forget how to speak. Like she needed Hana to see that side of her…

"Ah, sweet denial." Hikaru said playfully. "This, ladies and gentlemen, is stage one of being bitten by the lovebug. Observe her inability to take her eyes off of her target whenever she walks by, or the inability to cease talking about her god knows how many times a day-"

"I don't talk about her that much!"

"You do, too! Everyday it's always, 'I heard Hana-Oneesama was doing this' or 'did you know that Hana-Oneesama did that' or 'I saw Hana-Oneesama walk by today and-"

"Lies! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"There's that denial again! Why don't you just go see her? Maybe she wants to express how much she likes_ her_ little Ai-chan…"

"Hi-Hikaru!" Now she was beyond embarrassed, new feelings coursing through her, and in not knowing how to handle them quite yet, she simply stood up and grabbed a book that was beside her.

"Baka! I'm going to put this away!"

And with that, the embarrassed fourteen year old disappeared along the shelves, far away from the pink-haired female until she could control her emotions.

"Denied feelings…" she mumbled, scanning the shelf in front of her to find where her book belonged. "I don't have any feelings for her…"

Her words, however, if anyone could hear, were very much full of uncertainty.

After a few more minutes of searching, she found the empty spot. Reaching up, she attempted to slip the book back in, however; something else caught her by surprise. As she reached up, she felt a pair of arms slip around her, the hands going right for her chest and squeezing her…

"N…nyaa!"

Pulling away, she dropped the book, turning and placing her back against the shelf while crossing her arms over her chest. Was she just…was she just getting….She wanted to spit out comments to whoever had touched her, but all of her words except one seemed to choke right back up the moment her brown orbs met the violet gaze.

"H…H…Hana-Onee…sama?"

The girl simply giggled, tucking a piece of her silver hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry, Ai-chan. I simply couldn't help but touch that cute body of yours."

Aishu, who was still standing there with her chest covered, was redder than red and had no idea what to say. Between the mixes of her usual derpness that flooded her whenever the girl was around _on top_ of registering what had just happened, she was left in complete shock.

"I….Y-you….a-and….n…bu….an…"

"Ne….has anyone ever told you how adorable you are when you stutter?"

This seemed to snap the girl out of it a little, her brows furrowing as she finally found her voice to speak.

"B-baka! Why would you….how could you….and…and I am not! Will you just go away?"

"But why? I've been looking everywhere for you…but it seems someone has been avoiding me…"

"What? I have not been!"

"Really?" Hana asked. "Cause it sure seems like it. I see you in the hall, you take off. I see you in the kitchens, you take off, and I've seen you here in this very library before and you've taken off. Why is that, Ai-chan? Do you hate me?"

A fake look of sadness swept through her violet gaze, leaving Aishu to stutter up even more.

"N-no! I d-don't hate you! "

"Then why do you avoid me?" she asked, her fake sadness disappearing while a smirk curled up on her lips. "Is there any other reason you would not want to be near me? A little secret, perhaps?"

"I was…I mean…I…" Ok, so she had to admit, she did have some kind of crush on the sixteen – year – old, but she'd never just publically announce it in front of her. So instead, she attempted to change the subject.

"W-well..it…doesn't matter. What is it you want me for?"

Hana decided to let the subject change go, walking forward as she spoke.

"What I wanted was to simply thank you for what you did a few weeks ago. You did save my life after all."

If Aishu's face could turn any redder, it did at this very moment, her gaze dropping to the floor.

"It…was nothing…."

"Nothing?" she asked. "Oh no, it was definitely something…"

Moving quickly, she pushed Aishu in onto the shelf a little more, her body touching the others, their gazes locked. Hana's own voice shifted to a whisper.

"For doing what you did, you deserve a _special_ gift…"

"G-gift?" Aishu asked, working hard to keep her composure. "Wh-what kind of gift?"

Hana then proceeded to leaned in closer, her forehead pressed gently against Aishu's, their gaze unbreakable.

"A gift I have given no other. " she told her. "Now do tell, do you often stare at me every chance you get? And do you speak of me all the time?"

"Wha-"

"I mean, I know dear Hikaru-chan was teasing you, but in order to tease you for something like that, you must have done those deeds quite a bit…"

"You heard that?!"

"I did…" she replied. "So do tell…_my_ little Ai-chan…do you have a crush on me?"

Now Aishu's senses and emotions were on over drive. Hana was very…and I mean very, close, bodies touching, eyes locked, and just from her own reaction, she knew she had given Hana the answer, but it still didn't keep her from fighting.

"Look, I think I should be going now." The brunette started. "Lots of things to do, the parents expecting me soon…Hikaru-chan and I had a few plans before that…you know…things, so I think it would be a good idea if we just-"

Her ramble was cut off almost instantly when something warm and wet made contact with her lips, catching her completely off guard. Never had she felt a pair of lips kiss her own, and the very touch of Hana's gave her chills up her spine. Her heart stopped yet again, and time itself seemed to stand still. If it wasn't for the shock factor, the kiss probably would have lasted much, much longer.

Snapping to her senses, she pushed Hana back. Not hard enough to her hurt her, but enough to give them a bit of distance between each other. She could feel the heat rising to her face, and the taste of Hana's lips still lingered on her own. Did she just have her first kiss? And by the girl that she, despite her unending denial, had a crush on?

"You have no crush, huh?" The sound of her new voice pulled her from her own little world. Turning to the side, she found Hikaru staring at them with quite a satisfied and amused look on her face.

"What? You…no…and…bah!"

Bending down, she picked up her fallen book, placed it on the shelf, and half sped towards her friend.

"Excuse me, Hana-Oneesama, th-there's a thing with…and…to do…so….going…and…"

Poor thing was derped hardcore, and knowing she would not be able to form proper sentences any longer, she took Hikaru by the hand and tore from the library.

* * *

"Oooooh, Ai-chaaaaaan?"

Silence filled the room after her name was called, a pair of aqua blue eyes staring at the other which oh so much amusement.

"I knew you had a crush. I saw those eyes of yours when and after she kissed you. Do you have dirty thoughts about her, too? I bet you do… "

"I don't have dirty thoughts!"

The two had run to their room without a word. After changing from her school uniform to a simple t-shirt and knit pants, Aishu sat on her bed, Hikaru walking from her own and plopping right next to her.

"I saw the way she looked at you…and you had a very interesting gaze, too."

"No I didn't!" she was still far beyond flustered. "I…there was no gaze…and she…well…she's crazy and…"

"Mhm…crazy about you!"

"No she's not!"

"Oh you can't deny that now…she so has a crush on you, too! Come on, it's a good thing! Now think of all the fun you two could have together…alone…in a room…with her hands touching your-"

"Hikaru!"

The taller female simply giggled at this. She could never get enough of teasing Aishu, but for now…

"All right, all right. We'll change the subject. How about…you show me that thing again."

Suddenly, the atmosphere became a little more serious. Not terribly so, but enough to calm the brunette's nerves. Hikaru was referring to the other part of the story, the one involving her defeating that slave, which she had kept from all others. Standing up, she turned and lifted her shirt a little, exposing her lower back slightly, and on her skin, right near her hip and as clear as day, was a funny shaped deep red mark.

"Has it burned since then?"

"A little." Aishu replied, rubbing it a bit. "Not as much as it did on that day, but a little…"

Hikaru leaned in to get a closer look.

"Hmmm…I know I have seen something like this before, but I can't remember. You said it showed up right after you produced that light shield, correct?"

"Yeah…."

Her mind flashed back to when she had been protecting Hana. She had no idea where that shield had come from first off, and if that wasn't enough to confuse her, she now had a little mark on her skin, something she had never been there her entire life.

"Have you told your parents yet?"

"No…I haven't found the time really." Aishu replied. "There's have been quite a few more slave attacks since then, so they've been kind of busy. Even just spending time together has become shorter."

Although she loved spending time with her parents, they always seemed stressed out whenever she would drop by….even on weekends. She couldn't blame them with the slave attacks coming, but she also wasn't going to bother them with something as minute as this when bigger things were happening.

"It's just a silly mark…probably nothing,"

"I don't know…" Hikaru said, still eying it. "I still think we should look into it a little more…and actually…wait! I have an idea!"

"What?"

"I know you're spending the weekend at your parents, and I know we had plans to do some combat work tomorrow afternoon, too, but I know someone who I think might know a little about that. Interested?"

Aishu, flashing her friend a curious gaze, simply nodded.

"Yeah…who is it?"

"You'll see. So instead of meeting me on the fields, meet me back here tomorrow afternoon, ok?"

"Ok…" Aishu replied, her curiosity peaking even more so. Who else would know about this? Was it all that important? And why did it suddenly show up out of nowhere? She had a lot of questions, so hopefully, she would get her answers.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Are you questioning my judgment?"

The female sat at her desk, mild irritation clearly noticeable in her voice as she spoke into her necklace, her fingertips tapping down impatiently against the wood.

"_I'm sorry, my lady._" The man replied. "_I don't mean to, but, it just seems like you are assuming this a little too soon. The school has only been open for a good month and a half…not nearly enough time to collect the necessary data required to move on. Don't you think it would be better if-_"

"Let me make something perfectly clear…" she cut in. "I am not _assuming_ anything. I know she is the one. You yourself saw what happened that day. That shield she erected was made of pure light."

"_True._" He replied. "_However, that was only a one-time thing, wasn't it? No more attempts have been made on her specifically to confirm anything else nor has she shown any other sign of being who you think she is. How can you-"_

"My mark burned the moment that shield came about." She said, cutting in again. "It hasn't burned like that since _my _powers first awakened two years ago. Hers are now just starting to wake. That, on top of her not knowing what really triggers her powers, would be the reason you have not seen much of it. I _know_ it's her and I _know _what I am doing, so it would be in your best interest to not argue with me, or do I need to find someone more capable of following orders?"

There was silence, for a moment, on the other line.

"_No…you do not. I am very sorry for questioning you and will follow whatever command you give. I do, however, have one question._"

"And what would that be?"

"_If she is indeed who you say she is, then why not destroy her now? If she has not figured out how to use her powers or even summon her Child, then why not take advantage of this?"_

The woman simply smirked.

"Because, you fool, in order for us to defeat her properly and permanently, the summoning her Child is necessary. If she is killed off now, we will end up back at square one. Let her summon her child, for it opens the way to the one item those two need to truly connect. Once the way is open, if we can get our hands on that item first, we can destroy it ourselves right there, taking the win. However, if they get it before us, then she will have access to her full powers and we will have no choice of battling her full on and destroying what's necessary that way. So no, we cannot destroy her now. We can, however, destroy her trigger. Weaken it, and her power weakens, too, so even with a summoned Child, she is no match against me, not if her heart is weak. I do like the idea of toying with it…There is just some pure satisfaction of exposing ones weaknesses and using it against them. Hmmm….any more foolish questions?"

"_None but what my next move should be…_"

"Nothing right now." She replied. "Continue the work on your end. I will give you the word on when to release the next one. I must keep those two as busy as possible."

"_Yes, my lady. I await your command._"

And with that, the conversation ended. Leaning back in her chair, her smirk grew, the thought of being able to toy with her enemy for a while a sweet one. She would have to keep a close eye on the girl, and if her cards were played right, everything would work in her favor.

"I will destroy you…even if it's little by little…" she whispered. "In the end, I will be victorious…In the end…you will not come out alive."

* * *

"Irina-sensei's office?"

After spending a good chunk of the day with her parents, in which it was more of them dealing with endless phone calls and such, Aishu was now with Hikaru as planned, and in front of an office she was not expecting.

"What are we doing here?" Aishu asked, fixing the navy blue skirt she was wearing.

"To see her of course!" The female replied. "She's really smart and likes digging into ancient symbols and languages and such."

"You think this is an ancient symbol of some sort?"

"It could be. If it is, she can help us. If not, well then we'll just have to keep looking."

"Even if she does know, what makes you think she will tell us anything?" the brunette asked. "She is an instructor after all."

"Easy. All we need…is this."

Digging through her bag, she took out a small, black box.

"What exactly is that?" Aishu asked, cocking her brow a bit.

"You'll see. Trust me. This will work."

And with that, she knocked on the door, the sound quickly answered with a,

"Come in!"

Opening it now, the two stepped inside, Aishu shutting the door behind her.

"Irina-sensei" Hikaru called with a wave and a smile.

"Oh, hey Hikaru-chan!" the red head replied as she finished typing something on her computer. Looking over now, she flashed a smile. "And to you to, Aishu-chan. What brings you both here?"

"A deal." Irina said proudly. "And a deal I know you won't be able to resist. "

"Oh really?" the woman asked with a smirk. "What's this great deal of yours?"

Holding out the box, she handed it to the other female, who took it curiously and opened it up.

"Woah…what the…this is amazing!"

Aishu cocked her head a bit, eying the little black object Irina now held, but having no idea what it was. It must have been something good, however, for the woman was dumbfounded by it.

"Where did you even get this?"

"My parents." Hikaru replied simply. "Remember how I told you they were archeologists? Well, they tend to send me random things they find for my collection. They gave this to me right before I came to this school."

"Seriously? You have any idea how rare this is?"

"I do." Hikaru replied with a smirk. "And it could be all yours if you wanted it."

"Yes…" Irina replied, now eyeing the girl. "But what is it you want in return?"

"Information…about this."

Without giving any warning, Hikaru grabbed Aishu by the arms and spun her around, lifting her shirt slightly to expose the mark near her hip.

"Hikaru! Wa-"

"Trust me!"

Irina inched forward to get a closer look at what the girl was trying to show her, and when she finally took note of it, her eyes widened with shock.

"You're kidding me…"

"What?" Hikaru asked. "You know what this is?"

Without a word, she grabbed a camera that had been sitting on her desk and snapped a photo of what she was being shown.

"How did you get this mark?"

"I don't know…" Aishu answered. "It showed up about a month or so ago."

Shifting back to her computer, she clicked through some files, mumbling to herself before coming to a stop at a few pictures. Leaning back, she beckoned them to look a bit closer.

"You two might want to see this…"

Walking in a bit more they leaned in to look at the screen, and after a few moments, their reaction was pretty much just the same as Irina's when she saw the mark on Aishu's back.

"Ai-chan…" Hikaru whispered. "That's….that's just like…"

"Like mine…" Aishu finished. There, on the screen, was a picture of a strange mark. Was it the same one that was near her hip? No, but it was pretty close, having only one or two minor differences. The thing was, though, the mark shown in the picture wasn't on any person, but on objects instead. The one they were staring at was a tree, and a picture beside it showed it scorched onto a road.

"What is that?" Aishu asked.

"You mean you don't know?" Irina said, raising her eyebrow a bit. "I'm actually a bit surprised you don't seeing as your parents are the main investigators of this case."

"Case?" Aishu asked, a bit more confused. "You mean all the slave attacks going on? What's that got anything to do with this?"

"These marks," she said, pointing to the screen. "Appear scorched in different areas after every slave attack."

Aishu froze a little at that statement. They appeared after _every _attack?

"Didn't you say yours burned and appeared on you after that first slave attack at the school?" Hikaru asked.

Irina eyed the brunette with a more serious gaze.

"Is that true?"

"Well…yeah. It started burning when-"

Before Aishu could finish, the phone rang, Irina turning to pick it up.

"Hello? Mhm. Yes, I did. I'll bring them up straight away."

Hanging up the phone, she grabbed a few folders that were sitting beside her and stood up.

"That was Youko-sensei. "She told them."I'm needed, so unfortunately we must end this conversation for now. I'll run your mark through the database and see what I can find. I don't know how long it will be before I get back to you, but I'll do my best. However, if you wish to take a look into this yourselves, I have a friend not far from here who might be able to help. His name is Heero Kenpatchi. He owns a lot of ancient books and other items as well. I've found some pretty useful things there in the past. I've been meaning to go down, but I haven't gotten the chance. If you're interested, I'll give you all the information you need. You're also going to have to find some way to get permission to leave the school, too."

The three stepped into the hallways, Irina locking the door behind her.

"Can you not tell my parents about this yet?" Aishu asked, a little worried. "Just…I'll do it myself, but I want a little more time."

Irina thought about this for a moment, eyes narrowing a little before finally coming to a decision.

"Very well. Tell them as soon as you can, though. If I find out anything else, I'll keep you posted."

"Awesome! Thanks!" Hikaru said back. "See you soon!"

And with that, she was off, leaving the two girls alone.

"We should definitely look into meeting that guy." Hikaru told her. "If Irina-sensei says it's worth it, then it must be."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Aishu asked. "I'm sure people would be a little reluctant to let two Coral students out to see a guy in an ancient bookstore we don't know."

"Oh, that's easy!" Hikaru said with an evil glint in her eyes. "I'm sure if you look at your darling Hana-Oneesama with those big old baby browns, she would easily give you permission."

"What? No way!" Aishu said, blushing a bit. "Not after yesterday! I've been doing my best to stay away from her after that!"

"Oh really? I don't think that's a good idea…"

"Why's that?"

"Oh…nothing…" she lied, clearly knowing something Aishu did not. "Don't avoid her, Ai-chan…especially when I know you enjoyed that kiss so much…"

"I did not!"

"Ah, that sweet denial again….but really, it wouldn't hurt to ask. She is the number one Pearl after all, so she could easily get a yes from Mrs. Maria or someone. So, a few crazy things happen to you when you ask…take one for the team! This might be our only chance to get some really good information!"

Aishu simply sighed and rubbed her head.

"Look, let's just wait it out, ok? Give it a couple days. If Irina doesn't get back to us with anything…then…I guess I can ask."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, yeah." Aishu replied. "As much as it will suck doing so, I promise."

"All right!" Hikaru said excitedly. "You're the best, Ai-chan!"

"Uh huh…but if she squeezes my boobs again, I'm coming after you. Anyways, I'm going back to my parents. I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Mhm! Later!"

And with that, the two went their separate ways.

* * *

"_I really hope they're not too busy…_" she thought as she walked along, letting out a small sigh as she did so. Lately, though she really couldn't explain why, she was feeling a bit…stressed. She could handle school work and training well enough, but with the sudden appearance of that mark over a month ago, that's all she could think about, and with the new information she had been given, she would be thinking about it even more. Was her mark connected to the other that had been showing up with the slave attacks? And did her mark mean anything? She meant to ask Irina if the other mark had a meaning, but forgot when the phone call came through. And on top of that, she also had Hana to worry about. She was really taken off guard by the girl's previous actions, yet at the same time, she couldn't help but still become entranced at the mere thought of her. Though she still felt shy and embarrassed if she was ever nearby, she liked to at least catch a glimpse of the older female at least once a day. Today, she saw her probably about three or four times, but kept then would disappear out of sight. At one point, Hikaru had told her Hana had been searching for her again, but disregarded the comment, thinking it was just a tease. Her best friend seemed to be under the impression that she had quite a crush for the number one pearl.

"_Which is not true…_" she told herself. "_There's no way I could have a crush or any kind of feelings for Hana._"

And she was most certain about this. Just because she loved how beautiful her eyes were, the scent of the honey and milk shampoo she could smell when she walked by, or how wonderful and warm her smile was, did not mean a thing.

"_Don't let it get to you…_" she thought to herself, shaking her head a bit. "_That girl is just crazy…that's all there is to it_."

"Good evening, Aishu-chan."

Aishu broke away from her little world and looked up.

"Oh, good evening Aiko-Oneesama!" she said, bowing to the pearl number four. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well, thank you." The blonde replied. "How about you? Are you doing all right? You seem a bit distracted."

"I'm sorry." She said back. "I don't mean to be. I'm just a little stressed, but it's nothing to worry about, I promise."

Aiko giggled.

"Well, stress is understandable. I've seen people around you all the time since the slave incident. You've become quite popular around here."

"Yeah…" the brunette said softly scratching the back of her head. "So it seems."

"Well, can you blame everyone?" she asked. "That was quite the heroic move, saving Hana-Oneesama like that, not to mention taking on a slave as a Coral and defeating it. I am quite impressed."

"Thank you." Aishu replied back, blushing a bit.

"You're welcome. Anyways, I'm off to the library for a bit. I'm sure I will see you around. Have a good night."

"You as well." Aishu said back as she started walking again, that walk turning into a small run the closer she got to her parents. She just wanted to forget everything for the moment. No mark, no slaves, nothing. When she reached their door, she gave it a few knocks.

"Come in."

"I'm back!" she said, opening the door and stepping inside. She silently prayed they would no longer be tied up with things. "And so glad to be back. You have no idea how much I-"

She immediately stopped in her tracks.

"Ha…Hana…Onee-sama?"

Yes, she was allowed to forget about the slaves and her mark for the time being, but fate would never let her forget her secret little crush, nor let the two be apart forever.

"Hello, Aishu-chan." She said, smiling sweetly.

"Um…am I interrupting?"

"Not at all." Shizuru told her daughter. "Actually, your timing couldn't have been more perfect. We were just speaking of you."

"About me?" she asked, walking over to the desk, her natural shyness of the older girl keeping them some distance apart. "Did I do something wrong?"

"I would hope not." The blunette replied with a smile. "No, Hana just came to us with a request."

"Really? What is it?"

"Well, she requested that you become her room attendant."

Aishu's mouth nearly dropped.

"Wh…whaaa? Her….room attendant?"

"Yes." The elder brunette answered. "It's time for her to choose one, and she has decided on you."

It was in that moment Hikaru's little warning about not avoiding Hana today played through her mind.

"_If she already know about this…I'm going to kill her…._"

"You all right, Ai-chan?" Shizuru asked.

"Uh, y-yeah!" she stuttered out. "I just uh…didn't…expect that…"

"Well, I am very impressed on your performance here at school." Hana told her. "Your work is excellent, and you are very talented with your combat skills. I would be honored to take you on as an attendant and provide help when needed."

Aishu looked from Hana, to her parents, and then right back to the silver haired female.

"_I can't believe she's doing this….I bet she went to my parents on purpose to rule out the possibility of a no…_"

"I think it's a wonderful idea!" Shizuru told her. "I see no reason why you'd turn it down!"

"Yeah…amazing. Um, will you two excuse us for a moment?"

She grabbed Hana by the hand and pulled her to the doorway that led to the hallway of her and her parents living quarters, opening it upon arrival. "We'll be right back."

Pulling the girl inside, she shut the door behind her.

"What do you think you are doing?" she asked in a whisper, taking care her Mothers would not hear.

That innocent, oh so sweet smile disappeared the moment they were alone, the playful fun Hana coming out to visit.

"What? I thought it was another way to repay you for saving my life." She told her. "I know we shared that special little kiss, but I just didn't think it was enough for my little Ai-Chan."

"I'm not your Ai-chan!" she said with a blush.

"Oh really?" Hana walked closer as she spoke, forcing the brunette to back up against the door.

"Y-yes…r-really." She said, sounding less and less confident as she continued on. "And let's get something straight. _You _kissed _me_. I had no intentions of kissing you, nor do I ever want to kiss you again!"

Much closer now, she brought her head close to Aishu's ear.

"Are you sure about that?" she whispered. "I think Ai-chan enjoyed what she tasted that day and wants more. You just don't want to admit it."

And as if the closeness wasn't enough to make the younger female lose her composure, the sudden quick blow into her ear from the other sealed the deal.

"H-Hana!"

Aishu immediately covered her mouth when she realized how loud she had been.

"There's nothing to admit! I did not enjoy that kiss in the slightest. You just have the wrong idea."

Hana took a single step back and pouted.

"Ne…Ai-chan is so mean to me. If what you're saying is true, I must be blind then."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." Hana replied with a smirk. "We pass each other in the halls quite often, and each time, I see the way Ai-chan looks at me…"

Aishu could feel her face turn redder at that comment. She tried to deny it, but was too choked up. One, her shyness and derpness were kicking in, and two, well…it _was_ true…

"Anyways, I thought it would be nice to formally ask your parents for you to be my room attendant."

"And you couldn't ask me first? You could have at least told me before coming here."

"I tried." Hana said back. "I looked for you everywhere today, but each time I saw you, you'd disappear on me."

She walked right into that one, so there was no point in denying it.

"What if I say no? I do have that option."

"Oh, you won't say it. I know you will take the position."

"Do you now?" Aishu asked, raising a brow. "And what makes you think that?"

"Easy. I know you will take it because if you don't, and I know this has not been done because a little birdie told me so, that I will have to tell your parents about that wonderful kiss we shared yesterday."

"You will not!" she exclaimed. She was definitely killing Hikaru later. She wasn't ready to share that with her Moms yet. "You wouldn't!"

"Just watch me." She said with an evil grin. And with that, she placed her hand on the door leading back into the office.

"No!" Aishu lunged forward and pushed Hana back against the wall. In lunging so hard, she had brought herself close to the other, their faces now inches apart. With gazes locked, Aishu found that once again, she was entranced by those deep violet eyes.

"Fine…" she said softly. "I'll go along with this. I accept your request."

Even Hana seemed to lose herself a little when their eyes locked, but that didn't last long.

"Thank you." She said with a smile, that smile causing something to stir inside the brunette. She just really could not take her eyes off her. And because of this, she was so distracted that she failed to realize that Hana had somehow slipped her hand up her shirt, finding its way to the same exact spot it did the previous day.

"Hana!"

The door finally burst open and a very red-faced Aishu walked out, followed by a very happy Hana. Walking over to her parents, she stood and half hid behind Shizuru.

"I accepted." She mumbled.

"And I am very honored she did." She told them. "Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to working with Aishu-chan in the future. Thank you again and have a goodnight."

And with that, she turned and headed out the door.

Aishu could feel her parents eyes on her during the momentary silence, causing her to blush even more and to hide her face in Shizuru's back.

"Stop staring…."

"Did something happen?" Natsuki asked.

"No."

Shizuru only giggled at this, winking over at her wife as she did. Those two weren't blind.

"_The second coral crushing on the number one pearl…" _Natsuki thought. "_Sounds familiar…_"

Wanting to change the subject, she wrapped her arms around her Mothers waist and hugged tight.

"Ne…can we just go relax or something…a movie maybe?" Aishu asked. "I just feel like…well, I don't know. I just want you guys."

"Oh my little Ai-chan." Shizuru spoke with a warm smile. Turning around, she wrapped her own arms around her daughter, hugging her close. The older brunette was truly proud at how far Aishu had come over the years. She was so much happier and would no longer hesitate to admit when she just needed some loving, something the two parents were always willing to give.

After kissing her on the head, she let go, Aishu now peeking over at the blunette.

"Come here, you." She said with a smile, patting her leg.

Aishu wasted no time in making her way over, sitting on Natsuki's lap and wrapping her arms around her neck. Laying her head on her Mother's shoulder, she let out a content sigh. Right where she wanted to be.

"You all right, love?" Natsuki asked, kissing her on the cheek.

"Mhm." She said softly, closing her eyes for a moment. "Just tired. I want to relax a bit."

"I'm sorry we didn't spend much time together today as we planned." The woman told her with a little squeeze. "We just got so tied up in phone conferences and such."

"It's ok. I promise."

"Not for me, it's not." She said, hugging her daughter tight. "We wanted to spend time with you today."

Aishu couldn't help but smile at this. Opening her eyes, she brought her head back up and had opened her mouth to speak, but her gaze caught something else before she could, her eyes widening a bit when she saw it.

"What is that?"

Natsuki followed her daughters gaze to the item on her desk.

"This photo?" she asked, picking it up. It was the same exact photo she saw in Irina's office, the one with the mark scorched onto a tree.

"Yeah…"

"It's called a Hime mark." Shizuru answered, making her way over to them. "You know all of those slave attacks? This mark has been appearing after every one of them."

This she knew, but what there more?

"_I'm surprised you don't know seeing as your parents are the head investigators of this case._"

Aishu knew from past experience that her parents would sometimes keep certain cases to themselves, wanting to not involve her as a way to protect her, but she couldn't help but ask about this one.

"How did it get there? Who is leaving them? Does it mean anything?"

Natsuki raised her eyebrow slightly at the sudden strand of questions.

"We're not sure how they got there or who is doing it." She told her. "We're still looking into that. As for the meaning, well, this particular one, according to Youko-sensei, translates into dark."

"_Dark_?" With the mark showing up after each attack, the meaning mixed with it didn't sound too nice. Was it a bad thing that a similar mark was on her?

"You sure you're all right?" the blunette asked.

"Yeah…" she replied, breaking her trance a bit and snuggling back up. "Just tired I guess. I really just want you guys."

Natsuki held her daughter even closer, Shizuru right behind her and scratching at the young brunette's back. Now this was perfect, the thing that always made her stress just disappear even when she thought it couldn't.

"Well, then let's go get snuggled up on the couch for a movie then, yes?"

"Yes!" Aishu said with a warm smile. Getting up, she followed her parents to the door.

"_The scorched one means dark…_" she told herself. "_I'll have to tell Hikaru tomorrow. Maybe if we tell Irina-sensei too, it will help her figure out mine…_"

But, that was tomorrow. Wanting to just forget about it right now, she pushed it out of her mind. She had really been looking forward to the weekend. Moments with her parents were always wonderful, and knowing there was a night full of quality time ahead of her, she couldn't help but smile again as she closed the door behind her.


	6. Chapter 5

**A:N**- Heya! Sorry if this chapter seems a little boring DX I wanted to add another scene with AixHana fun. Next chapter will share what happens when they go to find the guy! Thanks for the reviews so far and I am glad you are enjoying!

Chapter 5

It had been approximately two weeks since both her and Hikaru found out about the Hime mark from the slave attacks, and in that time period, they were unable to get any fresh news from Irina. Yes, they did find out more about the slaves, but in regards to her mark, nothing. This bothered Aishu some seeing as, with her a similar mark upon her body, she often wondered if it was somewhat connected to the one meaning Dark. After waiting as long as they did, and after non-stop pushing from Hikaru, Aishu kept her promise about asking Hana for permission, and was now reluctantly facing the girl for the answer.

"Sure, I'll give you permission."

Aishu's mouth dropped a bit at the sudden answer.

"Wait…what?"

"I said I'll give you permission." Hana replied simply, staring back at the girl with a neutral expression.

The brunette was not expecting such a quick answer or an easy one at that. There was no fight about it. She simply asked, and the other answered.

"_There has to be something wrong…_" she thought. Normally, when the two were alone, Hana was always in a teasing and playful mood, but from the moment she walked in, she didn't seem like that person at all. In fact, though she disregarded it as her seeing things at first, when the younger girl had opened the door and first glanced at Hana, it looked like she had just finished crying. This actually worried Aishu a bit. Perhaps the other needed someone?

"Are you all right?"

The question seemed to catch the silver-haired girl off a bit, a small flash of shock passing through the violet eyes briefly at the question.

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

Aishu furrowed her eyebrows, eying the girl with a little disbelief. She had to be lying. Though the other had hidden it well, she could still see a few signs that the girl had cried. Not to mention, with the whole crying, hiding, and then pretending to be ok thing, she knew it all too well because she used to do that so many times in her younger years.

"Are you sure?"

Hana's gaze warmed a bit, merely nodding her head in reply.

"I am. Do I look like I'm not?"

Though a little worried, she wasn't about to tell the girl that she looked like she had been crying. If Hana had wanted to say something, she would have, and if not, she wasn't going to push her to.

"No." Aishu answered. "I was just…well, I guess, especially since I never gave you the reason why we wanted to leave, I didn't expect you to say yes so easily."

Hana was quiet at first, the gears inside her mind turning before a playful little smirk crept on her face.

"Well, I _am_ curious, but I am sure you have your reasons. As long as it puts no one in danger…"

"No!" Aishu replied quickly. "It doesn't. Irina-sensei said she's known this guy for quite some time and well….yeah…"

"Ok…and then, as for saying yes so easily…of course I would. Since _I know_ I'm not allowing you to do this for free, it excites me that I'll be able to have my way with you later in return! I could never pass on an opportunity like this, so why wouldn't I say yes?"

A deep blush grew on her face, her mouth nearly dropping again at Hana's comment. Now _that_ was the Hana she knew.

"Wh-what?" she stuttered out. "But…we didn't…"

"What's the matter, A-i-chan?" she asked playfully. "Did you really think I would allow you permission so easily without getting something in return?"

"Well…I thought…and…nyaa…what happened to you?! One minute you're all…and now you're…"

Poor Aishu was all lost for words, rubbing her temple in frustration. Where the sudden mood change came from baffled her, but she decided to just ignore it, pushing what the girl said out of her mind.

"Just…forget it. Look. Do you want to know what's going on or not?"

Hana propped her elbow on the arm of the chair and rested her head in her hand.

"Please, do tell."

And that's exactly what she did for the next few minutes, taking care not to miss a single detail.

"Then Irina-Sensei promised to keep us informed on any new information regarding the slaves and the marks and stuff. I mean, my whole life, nothing has ever been there, and then all of a sudden, we have our first slave attack here, and it pops up burning. And that shield, you remember? I have no idea how that came about or how I defeated that slave so easily. I want to know where that scorched mark is coming from and why my own looks so similar."

At first, Hana remained quiet, which made Aishu nervous a bit, but after a few moments, she finally spoke.

"Well, to begin with, I was rather surprised that you defeated that slave so easily. Yukariko-Sensei is a Meister, and even _she_ struggled with it a bit for the first time. Even now, those who fight them, your parents included, have found it hard to defeat them. What makes this story even more interesting is that they are not just normal slaves. These ones are much stronger, have different powers, and are a lot faster than the ones Otome have fought in the past. Irina – Sensei and Youko- Sensei have been studying these changes very closely in hopes of finding weak spots that could help defeat them even faster."

"I know." Aishu said back. "That's what Irina-Sensei told us. She said that's what's been taking up most of her time, which is why we haven't found out much about my mark yet. She said…she…"

Aishu paused for a moment, looking at Hana curiously.

"Wait a second…how did you know that?"

"Know what?" she asked innocently.

"About the slaves…how did you know they were all that much stronger…and how did you know that both Irina and Youko-Sensei were researching them. They told me that my parents were keeping information from the rest of the student body."

Hana simply smiled.

"Let me let you in on a little secret of my own. Your parents have asked for some of the Pearls to become part of this investigation. The Triage, as well as Aiko-Oneesama, have been helping them since day one. If there is an attack, at least one of us is out there helping one of the Meister's. We've also been helping Irina-Sensei and Youko-Sensei as well."

Aishu just stood there in shock.

"Wait…so this whole time, you've known what's been going on?"

"Mhm."

"But, when I asked for some information from my parents before, they only told me a little, saying they wanted to keep all the students out of it. They wanted to keep everyone as calm as they can."

"And they do." Hana replied. "Aside from the top four Pearls, no other student knows…well, besides you and Hikaru now. Not to mention, you're their daughter. You most of all they would want to keep out because they want to protect you. Granted, you did defeat a slave, but that makes them want to protect you even more. They don't want you in another position where you have to defend yourself again."

Aishu could get that. Even though she was fully capable of taking care of herself, her parents were quite protective of her. Not that she minded that too too much. It was better to have protective parents than none at all.

"So now you have a mark as well?"

"Yes." Aishu replied. "Right near the hip on my back."

"And it's never been there before?"

"No. Didn't show up until the day we got attacked on the practice fields."

"And you say it's similar to the one found after the attacks?"

"Yes. Not quite the same, but very similar."

"Hmm…can I see it?"

Aishu looked up at the girl a little confused.

"See it?"

"Yes!" she replied. "Can I see the mark?"

"I told you…" she said, blushing a little. She had a feeling where she was going with this. "Besides a few small changes, it looks like the other one that means Dark."

"So?" The taller female replied. "I want to see it myself."

"You can't." Aishu said back, blushing a bit more. "I told you it's near my hip on my back, and since I am in uniform you…you know…can't see it unless you lift it up…"

"Oh, I _do_ know…" she told her, and evil glint in her eyes. "That's perfectly fine with me. I want to see more of you anyways."

"Wh-what? N-no!" She snapped back, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're crazy! What makes you think I'll let you do that?"

"Aww, my little Ai-chan looks so cute when she gets worked up."

"I'm _not_ getting worked up…" she mumbled. "And I am _not_ your Ai-chan."

"Oh, but you are!" Hana told her. "You see, _I _chose _you_ to be my room attendant. And, to my knowledge, no one else but myself can make you blush and stutter the way you are right now. Therefore, you are my Ai-chan!"

Aishu opened her mouth to protest, but Hana quickly cut her off.

"Now, my little A-i-chan…please show me your mark."

"No." Aishu said simply, looking away. She was not going to give in, and at her reluctance, Hana only sighed.

"Well then, I suppose I have no choice."

Before Aishu had a chance to look back and say something, Hana had leapt off the chair and pushed Aishu, who had landed on her stomach, down onto the bed.

"Hey! Let me go! What do you think you are doing?" Aishu asked, struggling to get up, but she found the girl to be a lot stronger than she looked.

"I told you…" Hana said, holding the girl down tightly. "I want to see that mark, and…."

Before finishing, she brought her head close to Aishu's ear and whispered.

"I want to see more of my Ai-chan…"

And moments after, Aishu's eyes widened as she felt the other tug at her dress.

"H-HANA!"

* * *

_(Outside the door)_

Two women froze in the hallway right in front of a dormitory door. They _were _just on their way back to their own living quarters, a green eyed blunette deep in thought while her dark haired other half followed. However, a very familiar voice stopped them right in there tracks, and it was the wide-eyed blunette that reacted first, her eye twitching slightly.

"Was…that…just…"

Shizuru nearly burst into giggles, covering her mouth with one hand as to not be heard by the girls inside.

"That's not funny!" Natsuki said, trying to keep her voice down as well. "That was Aishu's voice! From Hana's dorm! And she yelled her name...the way I used to yells yours when you would start…and…you…gah! That's our daughter in there! If Hana is anything like you were when-"

"If Hana was anything like the way I was at that age…then I am sure Ai-chan is enjoying herself!" Shizuru told her, cutting her off.

"Enjoying herself?" Natsuki asked in disbelief. "How could she be enjoying herself? I know I didn't enjoy being stuck in certain situations with you!"

At this, Shizuru gently pushed her wife against the wall and leaned in close.

"Don't lie to me…Nat-su-ki…" she whispered.

Natsuki turned her head away, shuddering a bit. She always got the chills when Shizuru said her name like that.

"I'm not…" she said back, knowing full well Shizuru didn't believe her. "You always drove me crazy."

"Oh really?" the brunette asked, a hint of humor in her voice. It was always amusing to see Natsuki deny how much she pleasured their sexier moments. "Well, it seems not much has changed then, because if I recall the events from last night correctly, I do believe I still drive you…_crazy_."

Natsuki couldn't help but blush at this comment, her stubborn face breaking into a little, devious smile.

"If_ I_ recall correctly…" Natsuki told her. "It was _you _who was driven crazy."

Shizuru giggled and grabbed Natsuki by the hand.

"Well, seeing as Ai-chan won't be over until tonight, I think we should go test this theory again, don't you agree?"

Natsuki's playful smile grew, and after giving a gentle squeeze to the woman's hand, she pulled her down the hall.

"You haven't changed one bit, Shizuru…" she told her wife. "Not one bit."

* * *

"You're right! You mark does look similar to the one they are finding!"

"You…little…get…off!"

After much struggling, Aishu finally managed to roll over, knocking them both off the bed. They hit the floor with a soft thud, Aishu landing on top. The brunette then opened her mouth to snap at the other, angry about what had happened, but froze at the image that lay before her.

"…_Hana…_"

Upon falling, the two had landed with their faces only inches apart. Almost immediately, Aishu was lost in the scent of the honey and flowers that emanated from the girl's silver hair.

"_She's an angel…_" she found herself thinking, unable to tear her eyes away. That had to be it. Only an angel could look the way Hana did right then, with skin so soft and light that it seemed to glow, and in that moment, she wanted to touch it…to gently caress that cheek just to see if it was as soft as it looked.

"_Of course it is…she's an angel, remember?"_

Gazing at her eyes, those violets orbs that reminded her of springtime, she began to realize how much they latched onto her heart; how easily she could become entranced by the mere stare, and while she gazed into them, she saw that the other was looking right back at her with the same adoration, the same warmth, and yet, there was something else, too. Something that seemed to dim the springtime a little…

"_Sadness?_'

Why was she sad? Did it mean the girl really was crying before she came in? A weird little pang went through her heart at the thought of this. She didn't like the idea of Hana being sad. Was there a way she could fix it?

Looking down now, her eyes flicked onto the girl's small, pink lips, her mind instantly falling back to the day of their first kiss. Though she had hid and denied it, she really had enjoyed the touch...the touch, the taste, the warmth. She could never forget the softness of those lips.

"_It was…beautiful…what if I could…feel it again? What if…_"

"Aishu…_"_

Though Hana, who was still looking at the girl with such adoration, spoke softly, it was enough to break Aishu from her train of thought, and in doing so, Aishu soon realized that whatever she had been thinking and feeling seemed to have taken control of her body movements. One hand had found it's way to Hana's cheek, cupping it gently, the other intertwined in the soft silver locks, And her face…her face was now much closer than it originally had been, their foreheads touching and their lips so close…

"Aishu…_"_

Aishu let out a small gasp and sat up, wasting no time in quickly pushing away and standing up.

"I'm sorry…" she told Hana softly, her face a deep scarlet.

Hana stood up, brushing some of the wrinkles out of her uniform.

"Don't be…" she replied back in the same soft tone. She opened her mouth again to speak, but nothing came out, Aishu doing the same. They both had more to say…more they wanted to share, but it was Aishu who was still a little fearful of it all, so instead, she just walked to the door.

"We will meet you at the entrance in an hour…" she told her.

"All right…" she answered back.

And with that, Aishu opened the door and headed back to her dorm.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"I can't believe this is happening."

Aishu sat on the cement stairs outside the entrance of the school. Hana hadn't arrived yet and Hikaru was finishing her room attendant duties with the second pearl, Rai Murasaki.

"What got into me?" she mumbled. "Did I really want to kiss her? No…just no. There's no way I wanted to. And even if I did, any thoughts or actions I would have would be all her fault. If she wasn't so cute, or so funny, or have that beautiful smile….oh no…I did want to kiss her. I do really like her, don't I?"

Aishu covered her face in embarrassment.

"There is way too much going on right now. I can't handle this, too."

"You all right over there?"

Aishu jumped and turned to the voice.

"A-Aiko-Oneesama!" she exclaimed,, quickly jumping up and giving a small bow.

"Calm down, Aishu-chan." She said with a smile. "It's the weekend, and we're alone. No need for formalities."

"Sorry…Aiko…chan…"

"No apologies needed." She replied, taking a seat. "So, what brings you out here?"

"Just waiting for a few people." The brunette replied, taking her seat again as well. "Hana-Oneesama, Hikaru-chan and I are going out for a bit."

"Oh really? Where to?"

"Not sure yet." She lied, not wanting to get anyone else involved. "Some place in the middle of the city. Hana-Oneesama said it was a surprise."

"That's great!" Aiko replied. "Hana-Oneesama is really nice. I think it's cute you have a crush on her."

"Wait, wh-what?" she stuttered out, blushing deeply. "C-crush? What m-makes you think I h-have a crush?"

"Oh, I don't know…something about being cute, funny, and also something about a kiss."

She immediately hid her face in her hands again, blushing even deeper.

"I can't believe you heard that. Ok…maybe I have a small crush, but please don't tell anyone. You must think I'm crazy."

"I would never tell anyone." The older girl said back. "And I don't think you're crazy. I think it's wonderful you feel that way. Any kind of love, whether it's a crush or something more, is amazing."

"If it's so amazing, then why does it feel so damn confusing?"

Aiko simply giggled.

"That's just what love does to you I guess. I honestly don't know too much about it. Never really been in love. If you're confused, why don't you tell your parents about it? They seem like the definition of love. I'm sure they could help you."

"I thought about that." Aishu told her. "Honestly, I want to. I usually tell them everything, but lately, with all these slave attacks, they've been really busy and stressed out. I'm worried that I'll just add more stress to them, and I really don't want to do that."

That was the honest truth. She had been meaning to talk to them lately. Not so much about the mark quite yet, but more about Hana. She really needed some "Mom" advice, but she could never really find the right time. She may have had stresses of her own, but her parents' problems were much bigger, so she kept herself quiet.

"I'll tell them eventually, but right now, I just don't want to get in their way."

"Don't be silly, Aishu-Chan. What makes you think you will get in their way? You're their daughter."

"I know, but-"

"No buts about it." Aiko cut in. "It may be true that they have a lot on their mind, but that doesn't mean they won't want to listen to you. First and for most, you are their daughter, and if they love you as much as I think they do, then they would want you to go to them."

Aishu couldn't help but smile, that familiar warmth she got when she thought about her parents returning to her.

"Yeah, you're right. I should just tell them. They _are_ my parents after all. Why wouldn't they want me coming to them?"

"Exactly." Aiko told her. "Unless they came up to you and said that they didn't have time to listen to what you have to say, which will never happen, then I think you have nothing to worry about.

"Ai-chan!"

Turning, Aishu found Hikaru exiting the building and waved over to her. She also saw that, along with the coral, was a certain someone else.

"_Oh wow…_" she thought. Following closely behind her best friend was none other than Hana, but she looked different. The sixteen year old had changed from her pearl uniform and into a simple red top and matching skirt, a color that worked well on the female. This was the first time Aishu saw the girl without her uniform.

"You know, I've been told that it's not polite to stare." Hana said teasingly as her and Hikaru reached them, Hikaru stifling a giggle in the background.

"I was not staring!" she snapped, looking away. "Why would I stare at you? Now, are we doing this or not?"

Hana just giggled and nodded.

"Yes, we are. I spoke to Mrs. Maria before coming here, so we have her ok as well."

"I'll be taking my leave then." Aiko told them, standing up. "I have a few things of my own I need to take care of today. It was nice talking to you Aishu-chan."

"You as well." She told her, bowing slightly. "Thank you for listening."

"It's never a problem." Aiko said back, bowing in return. "Always feel free to speak to me. See you all later."

And with that, she turned and walked off.

"What were you guys talking about?" Hikaru asked curiously.

"Nothing serious." Aishu replied, giving a look to her friend that clearly said she would explain later. "She was just helping me with something."

Hikaru, getting the message, simply shrugged her shoulders and pulled out a piece of paper from her bag.

"All right then. Anyways, these are the directions from Irina-sensei. The store we are looking for seems to be far into the center of the city. It will be a bit of a walk, but we should be fine."

"We also need to keep track of time." Hana told them, looking at her watch. "If it's a bit of a walk, we will need to move fast to make it back before curfew."

"All right then." Aishu said. "Then let's get going."

And with that, the three walked down the stairs and into the city.

* * *

"Finally, a moment to ourselves…"

Natsuki stared down at the already naked Shizuru, who was lying in a very seductive position on the bed.

"You waste no time, do you?" the blunette asked with a smirk. She slipped off her blue jacket and threw it on a nearby chair, crawling on top of her lover moments after.

"Ara? Would you like me to put my clothes back on then and take a little more time removing them?"

The other smiled.

"Don't even think about it." She whispered, placing a gentle kiss under the brunette's ear. "If any of your clothes go back on, I may have to punish you."

"Oh no…" Shizuru replied, a fake look of worry on her face. "Not that…I hate getting punished…"

"Oh really?" Natsuki asked, letting her kisses slowly trail down her wife's soft body. "What a shame because really, I think you deserve some sort of punishment. You have been a very bad girl after all…"

Moving lower, she placed a flutter of kisses on Shizuru's inner thighs, sending shockwaves through the brunette's body. The constant gasps and moans were like music to her ears, and the lightness of this teasing was like torment for Shizuru.

"Mmm…Natsuki doesn't waste time, does she?" Shizuru asked teasingly.

"Are you complaining? Cause, you know, I can simply just…stop."

"Don't you dare…" Shizuru said back slyly. "I want you to-"

_Riiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnng!_

Natsuki dropped her head with a plop onto the woman's leg and let out an exasperated sigh.

"You have got to be kidding me." She mumbled, getting up and reaching for the phone. "This had better be pretty damn important. Hello?"

"Principal!" It was Youko-Sensei. "We have just received a reading from another slave. Somewhere near the middle of the city."

"_Dammit…_" she thought to herself. Was she ever going to get some quality time with her wife?

"All right. Shizuru and I will handle this one. We will be there in a moment."

Hanging up the phone, she cursed, angry at the fact that she was, yet again, interrupted.

"These slaves are really starting to piss me off."

"Have you noticed these attacks increasing?" Shizuru asked as the two got dressed again. "This is the third one in the last two weeks. It doesn't seem like they will be letting up any time soon."

"And I need to find out why." She said back, the two heading out the door and down the hall once they were fully clothed. "Having as many as we have been is not normal…Aiko!"

As they were heading down, Aiko happened to be heading in the opposite direction.

"Principal? Shizuru-Oneesama?"

"Come with us." Natsuki told her. "There's been another slave attack."

"Another?" she asked, now following them. "Where?"

"Somewhere in the center of Windbloom." Shizuru answered.

"Got it." She replied. "Wait…did you just say the center?"

"Yes." Natsuki replied. "Why?"

"That's not good then…Aishu is out there."

"What?" Natsuki stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the pearl. "What do you mean she is out there?"

"She said she was heading there earlier today." Aiko told her. "I don't know what she was doing, but whatever it was she wasn't doing it alone. Hikaru and Hana are with her as well."

"Natsuki, they're in danger out there." Shizuru spoke, slight panic in her voice. "We need to hurry."

"Dammit!" Natsuki shouted. "If anything happens to them…if anything happens to her…"

The three then sped down the hall, materializing the moment they were outside and headed towards the city.

* * *

"What? Nothing?"

Hikaru stood at the front counter of the bookstore, her mouth dropping upon hearing the news.

"What do you mean you have nothing?"

The older guy at the counter just shook his head.

"I'm really sorry, miss, but we have none left."

"But you're Kenpatchi, right?" the coral asked. "Irina-sensei said you'd have something."

"And when it comes to ancient symbols and such, I always do." He said apologetically. "But for the subject concerning Hime marks, I am afraid I am out. They've been gone for quite some time. Someone came in a few years back and asked for them all."

Aishu sighed and leaned back against the counter.

"_Well this is great…_" she thought to herself. "_All this way for nothing. I was hoping for a little bit of information, but…_"

"Are you sure you have nothing?" Hana asked. "Even if it's small?"

"I'm very sorry. I really have nothing left. If I had known the subject was on this, I would have saved you the trip."

"It's all right." Hana told him. "Thank you for your help anyways."

The three then gave him a small bow and turned to leave the building, but before they could, a loud crashing noise was heard, causing the building itself to shake.

"What the hell was that?" Hikaru asked.

Running outside, the three found themselves facing a slave only a few feet in front of them.

"Holy jeeze!" Hikaru gawked. "It's huge!"

The slave turned its head at the sound, its gaze narrowing on the three before fully focusing on Aishu and letting out a roar.

"This way!" Hana shouted. They ran down the sidewalk and through the streets, hoping they could get around it. Without being able to materialize, there was nothing they could do.

"We need to get back to the school!" Hikaru shouted.

"People from there are probably already on their way here." Hana said back. "We-ah!"

The slave took off from where it was, jumping through the air and landing a few feet in front of them.

"What can we do…" Aishu whispered, looking around for a place to hide. It wasn't the greatest idea, but with no robes, what other option was there?

"_Use your child_."

"What?" Aishu asked, turning to see who the speaker was, but no one was there. Then, out of nowhere, her mark started to burn.

"_Ah! What's going on?_" she asked, rubbing the spot. "_Why is this-_"

"Aishu!"

Aishu looked up to find Shizuru flying down to them, closely followed by Aiko.

"Mom!" Aishu shouted back. She looked around to find Natsuki and almost panicked when she saw her fighting the slave on her own. She knew these slaves were much stronger, so could her mother handle it alone?

Before she could say anything about it, she felt herself being scooped up, now in her Mother's arms as they flew away from the sight, Hikaru and Hana with Aiko.

"Mom…" she whispered, wrapping her arms around Shizuru's neck. "Mom, what about Natsu-Kaa-chan?"

"She will be all right." The woman replied. "I promise, everyone will be all right."

The two quickly flew the girls back to the school, letting them down once they hit the entrance. Mrs. Maria had been waiting there.

"Stay here." Shizuru told them. "Mrs. Maria will take you inside. Aiko, come back with me."

Aiko nodded and the two made their way back to the slave.

"Come girls." Mrs. Maria told them, ushering them inside.

Aishu didn't move, keeping her eyes locked on the fight. She could just see the battle from where she was standing. Although she knew her parents were very strong and quite capable of fending for themselves, it still didn't stop her from worrying. She didn't know what she would do if she ever lost them.

"Ai-chan…"

Aishu felt a warm hand slip into hers. Looking back, she found Hana beside her.

"They'll be ok." She whispered. "I know they will. Let's go wait for them, yeah?"

Aishu nodded, for once not pulling away from Hana's grasp, and though she didn't want to, she followed the rest inside.

* * *

Now in the office, Aishu stared out of the rather large glass window. The battle had ended about ten minutes ago, and she was impatiently waiting for her parents return. Reaching back, she rubbed her mark again, the burn still remaining.

"_Why did it burn all of a sudden?_" she wondered. "_And where did that voice come from? Use my child? What did that mean?_"

It was in that wave of questions did the office doors finally open, Shizuru the first to walk in.

"Mom!" she shouted, running towards her. "Mom, I-"

"What the hell do you think you were doing?"

From behind Shizuru came Natsuki, rushing in angrily and stopping dead in her tracks once she reached her daughter.

"Wait…what?"

"Don't what me!" Natsuki snapped. "What the hell were you doing out there? You could have been killed!"

"Mom, I was-"

"That slave was dangerous! Without being able to materialize Aishu, you would have been a sitting duck! You wouldn't have lasted!"

"Mom, I-"

"You're in so much trouble! You're lucky we were there to save you!"

"But Mom, will you just listen!" Aishu was really confused on where all the anger was coming from. "I-"

"No! I don't have time to listen to your excuses right now! Your Mother and I do everything we can to protect this school as well as your ass and this is how you thank us? You're not even supposed to leave this school without permission or-"

"They did have permission."

Aishu, who was already on the verge of tears, looked past Natsuki to find Mrs. Maria standing by the door.

"They wanted to get out of the building for a bit, so Hana-Oneesama gave them permission as long as she was with them. Hana even double checked it through me and I have them my ok. They only went out to a café for a little while to get some ice cream."

The blunette looked back down at Aishu.

"Is that true?"

"Yes…" Aishu couldn't' look up at her Mom. Yes, the whole café thing was a lie, but everything else was true. Hana had given them permission, and so did Mrs. Maria. She felt a little bad for lying, but now, at this point, she didn't;'t even care. Technically, she did nothing wrong. She had gotten all the permission she needed, so her Mother didn't have a reason to be this mad.

"Aishu…" Natsuki said softly.

"Just forget it." Aishu replied, a little hurt. "You don't have time to listen to my excuses, remember? Just drop it."

And before anyone could say anything else, she ran through the door that led to her and her parents living quarters and sped to her room, slamming the door behind her.

"What the hell was her issue?" she asked herself. "She didn't even give me chance to speak."

Plopping on the bed, she snuggled up close to a pillow. That wasn't like her Mother at all, to go all off on her like that for no reason.

"Whatever…" Aishu mumbled, snuggling deep under the blankets as a wave of tiredness came over her. With the attack, it would be awhile before her parents would be free again, which for Aishu, was a good thing. After being nothing but worried the whole fight, she was a little hurt by Natsuki's reaction. "You don't need her. You don't need them in general…not to talk to anyways. You can handle things on your own."

Aishu could feel her lids shutting. She was up a bit late the night before and the warmth she now felt from the blankets was inviting. She was so irritated and annoyed at this point that she wanted nothing more than to disappear beneath them. Reaching back behind her, she felt her mark again, the burning no longer there.

"_I still don't know why it started burning in the first place, and I still don't know where those words came from. I'll have to tell Hana and Hikaru later. Maybe they can help me, and Irina-sensei, maybe she can help me, too. Maybe she knows something…Maybe…_"

And before her thought process could finish, she was fast asleep.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Maybe you should take a break…"

Natsuki, tired as ever, was hunched over a pile of papers stacked in front of her, reading through some, signing some, and she was not liking a single moment of it. She was overly stressed and doing nothing to let it go. Not even the warm feeling of her wife's arms around her neck seemed to pull her away.

"I can't." she replied, flipping through them. They had been sitting there for the last few days, so she really had to get to them. "There's just way too much to do."

"I know, but you shouldn't kill yourself over it." The brunette said back. "You haven't been eating right or sleeping right…it really wouldn't hurt to just take a small break and-"

"I don't have time for breaks!" she snapped, quickly standing up from her chair and turning to face Shizuru. "You don't get it, do you? I don't have time to sit around like you do! I have student reports to look at, an investigation going on, slave attacks to worry about, meetings to go to-"

"A life to live, a wife who misses you, and a child who's afraid to even come near you because you're always like this."

Natsuki quieted for a moment, feeling the sting of Shizuru's words. She could see the tears forming in those usually happy crimson eyes and immediately felt guilty for saying what she didn't mean. Sighing, she reached for Shizuru's hand.

"No." Shizuru said angrily. "Since you seem to think that I sit around all the time while _you_ do the work, then I will leave you be."

She walked past Natsuki and headed towards the door.

"Shizuru, please!" she said, quickly grabbing the woman's hand before she could go any farther.

The woman looked back at her, tears already falling down her cheeks. She pulled Shizuru into a hug, and though the other didn't push away, she wasn't welcoming it either.

"I'm sorry." Natsuki said softly. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I know you work as hard as I do. You're always helping me and always by my side, and I appreciate that so much. I have no idea what I would do without you."

Shizuru's body seemed to release some of its tension at this statement.

"I don't mean to act this way." She continued. "It's just…it seems like I can't get a break from anything lately. Every time I want to relax, something always comes up. I mean, I can't even have sex with you without getting some kind of phone call. How sad is that…no sex!"

This caused the brunette to giggle, hearing it relaxing the principal a bit.

"I mean, sure we have been having those wonderful quickies and such…" The blunette told her. "But I miss those really intense moments where we…you know…and then…_that_."

Shizuru pulled back and rested her forehead on the others with a soft smile.

"With _that_, hmm?" she asked teasingly. "I know…I miss it, too."

"If everything just didn't hit at once…it's like, no matter what I do, something always comes up." Natsuki said. "A phone call, a meeting, another attack…most of it has to do with the investigation still going on. It's already summer vacation and we still haven't found any clues behind these slave attacks or the meaning behind the Dark Hime mark. We have a few bits of new information here and there, but other than that, nothing major. I'm really hoping that this next meeting will clear some things up."

Shizuru pulled away as Natsuki walked back and sat down in her chair.

"I think it will." Shizuru told her as she followed. Slipping behind the woman, she let her fingers give a gentle massage to Natsuki's shoulders. "I mean, look at who the source is. She always has very useful information for us. And, I know you don't mean to act the way you do. I know you're very stressed, but that's all the more reason you should take time to relax, even if it's just for a few hours."

"I know…" Natsuki replied softly. "I know."

They were silent for a moment, the massage actually doing wonders for the overly stressed principal. Though her body was beginning to relax, her mind and her chest was still all over the place, particularly on another previously mentioned subject.

"So…Ai-chan really can't stand to be around me?

"I think she wants to be." Shizuru replied. "She just doesn't know how to anymore. Ever since you snapped after that slave attack last month, she kind of distanced herself from you…well…from both of us, and that worries me. She doesn't even come around on the weekends anymore."

Natsuki crossed her arms over the top of her desk and plopped her head down.

"I've got to be the worst Mother in the world…"

Shizuru leaned back against the desk and ran her fingers through the woman's dark hair.

"You are not." She replied. "I know you love her very much and she knows that, too. You're just going through a tough time right now…we both are. I didn't mean to make it sound like you were a bad Mother. I'm just worried is all. This family is my whole life, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep us together."

Peering up, she saw those tears reappearing in her wife's eyes.

"Shizuru…"

Natsuki stood back up and wrapped the woman in another warm hug.

"This family is my whole life, too. I don't want you to think otherwise. You guys mean everything to me and I would do anything and everything to keep us together."

A smile grew on Shizuru's face.

"Natsuki…"

She wrapped her arms tighter around Natsuki and pulled her closer.

"I know this family means a lot to you, too, and that you would do anything for us. Know that we would do anything for you, too, and that includes days like this when you're too stressed. We'll do whatever we can to make it better because that's what families do."

Natsuki smiled right back.

"Thank you…" she said, pulling away. "You know what, how about tonight…no, how about right after the meeting, the three of us spend some time together. Unless it is an absolute dire emergency, I will let nothing get in the way. Just you, me, and our little Ai-chan…that is, if we can get her down here."

"That won't be too hard." Shizuru said with a smirk. "She is not as hard headed as she used to be. All you have to do is soften her up a bit and she's all yours, but _you_ have to be the one to do it."

"I think I can handle that." The woman said back, leaning in to nuzzle at the woman's cheek. "And, once she is asleep…I do believe you and I have something we need to do."

"Oh, really?" Shizuru purred. "I can't seem to remember what that thing was."

"Oh I'll help you remember." Natsuki said back before wrapping her lover in a passionate kiss.

* * *

Between exams, research, and dealing with not being able to really be near her parents, Aishu failed to realize how quick time had been going by. Before she knew it, summer vacation had started. Normally, she would have been staying at her summer house with her parents, but, with the reoccurring slave attacks, Natsuki thought it was best to stay at the school. Luckily, for Aishu, Hikaru would also be remaining at the school since her parents were out excavating in Artai. Hana was the only one out of the trio who, much to Aishu's hidden dismay, had left.

"_This will be perfect._" Aishu thought to herself one afternoon. She had been out in the field in her gym uniform, planning on doing some running with Hikaru to train since it wasn't a scorching hot day. "_We'll be able to get some more research done._"

While waiting for Hikaru, she decided to plop down against the cool grass. Sighing, she looked up at the cloudless sky, the thought of her parents and what they might be doing suddenly swimming through her mind.

"What does it matter…" she mumbled. "Probably in another stupid meeting."

It had been awhile since she spent some actually quality time with her parents, especially with Natsuki. The woman never really apologized for snapping that day they did research. Instead, she just acted like it never happened and got lost in more work. She tried forgetting about it herself, but then Natsuki began nagging her about everything, snapping at the littlest of things, so she found it hard to do so. After a while, it got really annoying to the point where she didn't want to be around her parents anymore. She just stayed with Hikaru on the weekends. Quite a few times, Shizuru had found her and tried getting her to stay with them, but Aishu always made some kind of excuse on why she couldn't.

"I really do miss them though." She whispered. It hurt not being able to spend time with them. She loved them both very much, but it was just really hard being around them right now.

"Hey, you."

Aishu jumped at the voice and sat up.

"Uh…H-Hana-Oneesama?" Aishu was actually really shocked to see her. Silently happy, but shocked. "What…I thought you left for your parents last week."

"I did, but I'm back now" she replied, taking a seat beside the brunette. "For the summer. They had some travelling to do so…"

Aishu watched as Hana preoccupied herself with some grass, her eyes having that worried look again.

"Are you ok?"

"Perfectly."

"…You're lying."

Hana looked up at her, a little surprised.

"I'm lying?" she asked, half amused. "What makes you think that?"

"I can just tell." The younger girl replied. "Something's not right, and it hasn't been with you for a while."

"Oh really?"

"Yes…"

Aishu knew something was up, but the other girl wouldn't tell her. She desperately wanted to know because, although she didn't exactly show it, she hated seeing Hana sad and worried like that. She wanted to do something…anything…to help her.

"Ai-chan!"

Yet another voice called out for her. Turning to look, she found Hikaru running towards her with a paper in her hand.

"Ai-chan! You have to see this!" she said as she reached her. "Oh…Hana-Oneesama?"

"I'm back for the summer."

"Oh...well…you should see this, too!" The pink haired female handed the paper over to her best friend, the brunette taking it with curiosity. "It's from my parents. Remember how I sent them a picture of your mark? They got back to me with some really good information!"

Aishu began reading the letter, her eyes widening as she worked through it.

"_Hime mark…light…creating that element…summoning child…battle over 200 years ago…_"

Aishu's head spun a bit, trying to take in all the information as she handed the paper over to Hana.

"Hold on…it means light? And whoever has that mark can control that element? And a Child?"

"Yes…I even called my parents after getting this to confirm it." Hikaru replied. "See, that mark you have on you was also on an Otome who lived over 200 years ago. She was also known as the Light Hime. Apparently, she went into battle with another who had the Dark Hime mark and won. There's a lot more to it, but my parents didn't really know the rest.

"Are you serious?" Aishu asked,. "But…that's so weird. We never came across anything like this during research."

"I find it weird as well." Hana said. "Nothing like this was mentioned in the history books at all."

"Perhaps not many witnessed it." Hikaru said back.

Aishu was silent for a moment as she thought this through.

"All right, I'm not quite sure what this all means, but if definitely explains a lot." She said after a moment. "I don't know what a Child is, but, like I told you, I do remember hearing someone whisper it to me that day we were researching. And it also says the one with this mark can control the element of light, which would explain the light shield I was able to bring up…but…with all of this happening…that would mean…

"That you are the Light Hime."

All three girls jumped and turned at the voice that came from behind them.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Hana and Hikari stared, with a little confusion, at the stranger that stood a few feet from them. Aishu on the other hand let out a little gasp, a smile growing on her face.

"Wait…who are-"

"Miyu-chan!"

Aishu immediately ran towards the woman and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Hello, Miss." Miyu said with a smile, embracing the girl right back.

"Miyu-chan…" As the two hugged, the girl could feel tears forming in her eyes. She wasn't entirely sure where they had come from, but feeling the warm embrace from Miyu seemed to break something inside of her. It had been quite a long time since she had a good hug like this…

"Miyu-chan…I've missed you so much. Where have you been? I haven't seen you since last summer." Peeking up, she spotted a little yellow bird sitting on the woman's shoulder, smiling at the small creature. "Hello to you, too, Alyssa-chan!" The bird chirped happily in reply.

"I've missed you, too." Miyu replied. "I've been doing a lot of travelling lately, collecting bits and pieces of information I need. There is something I am looking for."

"What is it?"

Miyu smiled and placed her hand on the child's head.

"You will find out soon enough, I promise." Her brows then furrowed. "Miss, are you all right? Why are you crying?" She looked up at the other two females behind the young Kruger. "Are those girls bothering you?"

"No!" Aishu replied quickly, wiping away her tears as she tried to ease the other's worry. She knew how very protective Miyu was of her. "Really. They are my best friends, and they're always very good to me."

Taking the woman by the hand, she walked over to the two girls.

"Miyu-chan, these are my friends, Hikaru Kokoru and Hana Michiko."

"Nice to meet you." They both said politely with a bow.

"And this is Miyu." She told them. "I met her not long after I was adopted. She's very much like a sister to me."

Miyu simply nodded at the girls and then returned her gaze to Aishu.

"If they're not the reason you were crying, then why were you? I can see that something is bothering you. Did something happen?"

"No…" Aishu lied. She almost forgot how perceptive Miyu was when it came to how she felt.

"I'm just a little stressed."

Well, it was more like extremely stressed. Between her normal school related activities, she was also doing extra research on her mark and its connection to the current case with the slaves, and with the new information Hikaru gave her, she'd be doing even more work to figure it out. Usually, when her stress got bad, a simple hug or some quality time with her parents always did the trick, but with barely being on speaking terms with them, she didn't have that escape anymore, only adding even more stress. Sure her friends helped…it was great to be able to talk to Hikaru or even Hana when things got a bit too much for her, but nothing beat the special time she would get with her two Mothers. Seeing someone like Miyu right now, and having that hug feel as good as it did, reminded the girl of how much she really missed her parents.

"Things have been a little crazy lately is all. It's nothing I can't handle."

She clearly heard what the child was telling her, but didn't believe it, knowing full well she was hiding something.

"You're worrying me…" she told her. "You're light…that light I usually see shine so brightly, seems to have faded a bit."

"My…light?" Aishu asked, a little confused. "I don't have a light."

"Or…do you…" Hikari said softly, now walking a little closer to the older woman. "Miyu-san, when you first got here, you called her the Light Hime, didn't you?"

"That's right…" Aishu piped in, her brows furrowing as she thought about it. She was so distracted by the sight of Miyu that she had momentarily forgotten about that small piece of information. "Why did you call me that?"

"Because that's what you are." She replied. "I've been watching you for a while now. I saw what happened the very first time a slave attacked here…I saw that shield come up when you were protecting that girl."

"That girl was me…" Hana told her. Moving to Aishu's side, she stared at the young girl with a serious gaze.

"Ai-chan, show her your mark. If she's got more information…"

Without a second thought, she quickly turned and pulled her shirt up a bit, exposing it to the other. Miyu placed her finger on the mark and gently rubbed it.

"That confirms everything." She told her. "You are indeed the Light Hime, which means that there is more to come for you. You will need to awaken your child, and soon, in order to defeat the Dark Hime."

"Wait, what? Now I'm really lost…" Aishu replied. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'll explain more during the meeting with your parents." Miyu told her. "In knowing you contain this mark, I am sure they are going to want to hear this, too."

"Miyu…they…they don't know about it…"

The woman went quiet for a moment.

"Miss…you haven't told them?"

"She hasn't really gotten a chance to." Hikaru told her. "Her parents have been all over the place because of these slave attacks and haven't really been paying much attention to her at all, especially Principal. We've spent the last couple of months trying to find some information ourselves, but we haven't found any. Only today did we have a small break through from a letter my parents sent me."

Hearing this, Miyu knelt down to Aishu's height.

"Is this true?"

Aishu could feel her eyes tearing up again, but did her best to hold them back.

"Yes…" she answered. "Shizu-Kaa-chan hasn't really been bad, just really busy and has even tried to get me to come around, but Natsu-Kaa-chan is always mad at me or mad about something, so I've just stayed away from both. It's just been really hard for me to talk to them. Please don't tell them about it yet, Miyu-chan…please? It'll only cause more problems."

Though the woman knew that telling was the better option, she decided to give the young girl a little more time.

"I won't. Not yet, anyways, but they will have to know soon. They're your parents. They need to know these things about you."

"I know." Aishu said back. "I will tell them soon. I promise."

Miyu then placed her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"And you shouldn't avoid them either. Things may be hectic, but no matter what, you are their Daughter and they love you more than anything. I am sure that if you tell them how you feel, you will all be able to fix things."

Aishu just shrugged her shoulder, Miyu now standing back up.

"Come on. I have a meeting with your parents to get to. I want you to hear this as well."

"I can't Aishu said back. "They don't want me to know about anything that's been going on. They'll just kick me out of there."

"No they won't." Miyu told her. "I will tell them otherwise and convince them to let you stay. You need to hear my words as well."

"Well…all right, but Hana-Oneesama and Hikari-chan need to come, too. We've been in this together the whole time, so I want them to hear what you have to say, too. Hana-Oneesama won't have a problem getting in, but Hikaru-chan might."

"Very well." She said, glancing at them all. "I will make sure you all get in."

And with that, they headed into the building.

* * *

"_I thought you didn't want her to know anything about being the Light Hime. That's why you went through all that trouble to get rid of any information regarding it._"

"I don't want her to." The woman replied into the necklace. "However, it seems we are not going to have much of a choice. This person called Miyu will make sure she knows. She's getting her into the meeting."

"_Will her knowing get in the way of your plan?_" the man asked.

"Not really, no." she replied. "Granted, after what hears and learns today, the chance of her awakening her child will increase, but without the object she needs, she won't be strong enough to defeat me. I still believe things will work out in our favor. How is the search coming?"

"_We are still having no luck. We only have a few clues on where the location is, so finding it is proving to be very difficult."_

The woman sighed.

"It's important that it's found." She told him. "especially after today. Hopefully, this Miyu will say something about its location. I will have to see. I must go now. I'll contact you sometime after the meeting."

She then hit the small button on her necklace and walked down the school hallway.

* * *

"_I hope this works. Then again, it's Miyu. She can make anything work._"

Aishu put her hand on her stomach, which was now in knots. She was hoping that in seeing her parents, nothing would go wrong. No arguments…nothing.

"Are you all right?" Hikaru asked.

"Yeah…" the brunette replied. "I'm all right."

Hana slipped her hand into Aishu's and held it, catching the young girl off guard.

"Don't worry." She told her, knowing exactly what was on the girl's mind. "Things will be fine. I'm sure they will be happy to see you."

Aishu, liking the comfort, squeezed her hand, turning her head away to hide the small smile and the blush that grew on her face."

"Thanks…" she said softly.

After a few more minutes, they reached the door. Miyu didn't even bother knocking and just opened it up, walking inside.

"Miyu…" Natsu said, standing up from her chair.

"Hello Natsuki." She said simply. "Shizuru."

"Hello, Miyu-san." Shizuru said back smiling. "It's nice to see you again."

"You as well."

It was then the brunette suddenly giggled.

"It seems that you picked up some strays along your way here, yes?"

"I brought them for the meeting." Miyu replied.

"This is a private investigation." Natsuki told her. "Hana, as well as the next three Pearls, are already involved, but I didn't want other students getting mixed in if they didn't have to."

"Hikari and Aishu are not just _other students._" Miyu countered "They're your top two Corals. Why not bring them in as well? You may find that you'll need their help in the future."

"We're really eager to help." Hikaru told her. "We've been interested in it since the beginning, and we'll do whatever you ask us, promise!"

"I think you should let them." Hana piped in. "They're both very smart and clever. And as Miyu-san said, they may prove to be a lot of help to us."

The blunette sighed.

"Why do I get the feeling that they already know most of what's been going on anyways?"

Hana just innocently smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"I have no idea why you would think that, Principal."

The woman could only snicker.

"You guys probably know more than us, don't you…"

"To be honest, not really." Hikaru replied. "I mean, we have been researching since day one, but we haven't found much. Though, we did get some really good information from my parents this morning."

Aishu's mouth dropped at this.

"Hikaru!"

"What?" the pink haired female asked, an evil grin spreading across her face. "You heard her, she already figured that the two of us were already somewhat already involved. I mean, we both really wanted to know, and with you being Hana-Oneesama's lover, it wasn't hard getting information…"

Aishu's face turned five different shades of red.

"Lover! That's a lie! What are you-"

"That's right!" Hana quickly clung to Aishu's arm and nuzzled it happily. "They really did want to know what was going on, and with Ai-chan being so cute, it was hard to say no to her."

"B-baka!" She shouted, pulling away. "You guys are both crazy!"

Both girls, along with Shizuru, were now giggling.

Natsuki, who was trying very hard to stifle her own giggles, simply cleared her throat.

"In that case, you girls might as well stay. However, if we do need your help in the future, you will follow every command we give you….and tell no one else about this."

"Hai! Captain!" Hikari said, giving a quick salute before taking a seat with Hana on the couch. Aishu decided to stay put, half hiding behind Miyu.

"We can get this meeting started anytime." Natsuki told her old friend. "Meister Arika and the Queen had some emergency business to attend to, so they will not be joining us today."

"That's all right. I have already told them what I am about to tell you."

The blunette nodded.

"Well, then there's just one more thing before we begin. Ai-chan, can you come over here for a moment?"

Aishu, curious at this sudden request, peeked out to look at her Mother.

"Why?"

"You'll see. Just come here."

Reluctantly, Aishu stepped out and walked over. Hopefully it was a quick this so she could get away, however, she soon saw that would not be the case for when she was only a few feet away, Natsuki reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling the girl onto her lap.

"What the-Mom, what are you doing?" the girl asked, feeling the woman's arm sneak around her waist. She tried getting back up, but Natsuki pulled back.

"What? A Mom can't hold her kid?"

"Not here! Isn't this a meeting?"

"And?"

"You can't hold me during a meeting!"

"Oh yes I can." She said with a smirk. "I am going to hold you and keep holding you for as long as I want."

"But Mom-"

"Shhh." She said, placing a finger on her lips and winking. She then placed a quick kiss on Aishu's cheek. "The meeting's about to start."

She could hear her friends giggling in the back ground and shot them a death like glare. Assuming she was going to lose the fight, she decided to just sit still, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So Miyu, what information have you found for us?" Natsuki asked.

"It's about the Hime marks and the meanings behind them." She replied.

"Marks?" the blunette asked. "There's only one, though."

"That you know of." Miyu said back. "There are actually two in existence. These symbols, the Dark Hime and the Light Hime marks, haven't been seen in the last two hundred years, not since the last two Otome who possessed them fought."

"Fought as in there was a battle?" Shizuru asked.

"There was. However, you will not find much information about it in History books. For a battle as important as this, not many people were around to witness it. It started with, as I mentioned before, two Otome. One, who possessed the powers of the Light Hime mark, and another who possessed the powers of the Dark Hime mark. They both had the ability to control their respective element, as well as summon a Child. For those of you who do not know what a Child is, it's a creature a Hime is able to summon when going into battle."

"_I can summon…a child?_"

Aishu shuffled a bit at the thought, her Mom holding her a little closer when she sensed her mild uncomfortableness.

"Why did the two of them fight?" Hikaru asked.

"Difference of opinion." Miyu answered. "The Dark Hime wanted nothing but power and would stop at nothing to get it. The Light Hime wanted peace, and would protect people from the Dark Hime when needed be. The people needed the Light Hime for protection because they could not protect themselves. You see, only a Child can defeat another Child. So, in the end, the two ended up getting into a big battle. Of course, the Light Hime won, but there was something else she failed to realize. You see, even when a Hime is not materialized, she can still summon and fight with her Child. However, if the Hime wanted to use the Child at its full power, they needed their respective gem to materialize with. The Light Hime defeated the Child, killing the Dark Hime as well, but failed to destroy the Dark gem the Hime was wearing. Instead, she hid it so no one could get their hands on it and have that kind of power again. The Child may have been destroyed, but its soul still lives in that gem, so if the gem still existed, so did the Child. The Light Hime hid hers as well before she died; therefore that Child still exists, too. It seems the Dark gem has been found, but the Light gem still remains hidden."

"Which means the Dark Hime is back." Natsuki concluded. "That right there would explain all of the marks showing up around town, but why do they only show up after slave attacks?"

"Probably because she is behind them." Miyu replied. "These attacks that have been going on are far from random. I don't think she is doing this alone, so she, as well as whoever is working with her, are using the slaves as a mere distraction."

"Distraction from what?" Shizuru asked.

"Perhaps from us finding the Light Hime. I can't be sure. I haven't been able to find the motives behind it yet, but I will soon."

"Maybe she is trying to avoid a fight with the Light Hime." Natsuki suggested.

"Impossible." Miyu said back. "Both Hime are in existence, so, like their ancestors, they must fight. The Dark Hime is already trying to take control. The Light Hime hasn't awakened yet, but she will need to soon. I am on the search for the gem that is needed for her before they have the chance of finding it and destroying it themselves."

"Wait, do you know who this Light Hime is?" Shizuru asked.

Miyu just stared back.

"That doesn't matter. She will make herself known when the time comes. She cannot be forced into doing it. For her to have a strong connection with the Child, she must choose to awaken it by her own will. If she is forced, then it will not work. Her Child will be weak, and she would be easily defeated. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the Child."

Natsuki sighed, leaning back in the chair.

"So these aren't simple slave attacks we are dealing with." She said. "There's a whole battle behind this, and there's nothing we can really do until the Light Hime comes out in the open?"

"Yes." Miyu answered. "The Child cannot be defeated without her."

"Well then, she better hurry up with it." The Principal told her. "If there's a battle brewing, then she can't be taking her time. These attacks have been going on for a long while now…what's taking her so long to fight back?"

"Perhaps she is just learning that she is the Light Hime." Miyu replied, looking at Aishu. "As much as you would like it to happen, it is a process one cannot just "hurry up". Her powers and her Child is something she needs to discover and awaken on her own. It cannot be forced."

"_That's great…_" the young brunette thought. "_So, I need to discover my powers more, awaken my Child, and somehow defeat this Dark Hime before Mom has a fit…no pressure guys…_"

"With that being said, there is nothing else to share on this matter, so I will be taking my leave for now." Miyu told them, bowing respectively. "Leave the search for the gem to me. I will get back to you as soon as I find it."

"Thank you." Natsu said. "We appreciate your help."

And with that, Miyu turned and left the room.

"Well this is great…" the blunette mumbled, rubbing her temples in frustration. "This situation is even more complicated that we thought, especially with the Light Hime-"

Before the line could be finished, Aishu used the moment when her Mother moved her arms to jet off her lap and head for the door.

"_I don't need to hear it…_" she thought to herself.

"Ai-chan! Where are you going?" Natsuki asked.

"Don't worry about it."

"Well, can you come back after? I need to talk to you about something."

Aishu froze, her hand on the door knob.

"I can't. I'm busy."

"You always seem to be busy when we want to see you." Shizuru said.

"Well, you're always busy when I want to see you, too." The girl replied. "That doesn't seem to bother you guys, so why should it bother me?"

She then opened the door and ran out.

"Miyu-chan!" she shouted, spotting the woman as she ran down the hall. "Miyu-chan!"

Miyu turned and stopped to let Aishu catch up with her.

"What is it Miss?"

"Miyu-chan…" she spoke, stopping in front of her. "I…I don't know…"

The woman pulled her into a hug.

"Don't over worry about this. Listen, I didn't' want to mention this in the meeting, but only to you. There is a trigger to using your Element. Don't ask me what it is though for it's something you need to find on your own. Although it needs to be soon, you can't just force yourself to find it, or force yourself to call your Child. Just let it happen naturally. You will know when the time is right, and when it is, I will be there to help you."

Miyu then pulled back.

"Just understand this. Don't lose that light that's inside of you. I have seen it shine so brightly and it worries me that it's dimmed a bit. Stay strong, Miss. I know you can."

Leaning down, she placed a soft kiss on the girl's head.

"I must go now. I will be back as soon as I can."

And with one last small smile, she turned and walked away.

Aishu leaned back against the wall, the story she had just heard swirling around in her mind.

"I'll try, Miyu." She whispered. "I'll try."

Turning around, she was going to head back to her parents, but stopped.

"_She better hurry up and get this done. If there's a battle brewing, then she can't be taking her time. These attacks have been going on for a long while now…what's taking her so long to fight back_?"

"Thanks, Mom." She whispered. "How the hell am I supposed to tell you now? You don't make it easy…you'll probably force it on me if I do, and it can't work like that. Dammit…"

She then turned away, deciding it was better not to go back, and headed to her dorm.

* * *

_Well, this is an interesting turn of events._" The woman thought to herself, watching silently as the girl took her leave. "_Ne…this does put a damper on my plans. She'll end up calling her Child now, so I will have no choice but to fight her. I really didn't want to fight her if I didn't have to…_"

She then smirked.

"_Then again, with her light fading, perhaps the fight will be nothing. Who knows…maybe she will even refuse the unlocking of her Child in the end. I'll just keep doing what we have been. Her parents play a big part in this…as well as that Hana, so I will just have to continue keeping them busy…_"

She walked over to the school window and looked outside.

"Just watch, Ai-chan. You won't have anyone to go to soon enough. You'll feel all alone, and then your light will fade for good. And even if you can call that Child, with no light, you will be easily defeated. Darkness, will take over the world…I…will rule…"


End file.
